Harry Potter the Warlord Prince
by The-Caitiff
Summary: Harry meets a trio of new teachers. And learns a few new tricks. But can he survive being tutored by the High Lord of Hell, The Sadist, and Lucivar Yaslana? Can they survive teaching Harry? Crossover with the Black Jewels Universe.
1. The Three Strangers

Disclaimer; Rowling owns Harry and Friends. Bishop owns the Realms and the Blood. I own nothing and wont be getting anything but my own amusement.

/_This is a form of psychic communication the Blood use._/

* * *

Harry sat alone in bed thinking of all those he lost. His parents, Sirius, Dumbledore, Cedric even. They had all died because there was a prophecy that said he had to be the one to face the most feared dark lord in over five hundred years. But before he could actually kill the bastard he had to track down all the pieces of his soul so he could not return again.

Honestly he was beginning to wonder if it was all worth it. The wizarding world had turned its back on him more times than he cared to consider. His friends cared for him of course, and some of his teachers would stand by his side, the aurors knew him, but no one would really teach him what he needed to learn. His destiny was to kill a man, but no one would teach him to kill. They would tell him how to stun, wound, disarm, and escape, but they still refused to give him the skills he needed to survive.

It was time to take charge of his life. Slowly he began to unpack his trunk. He knew there wasn't anything in there that could teach him truly dangerous magic, nor the dark arts, but every single thing he knew would be one more thing that might keep him alive. As he unpacked his potion's equipment, his silver knife fell from his cauldron and nicked the back of his hand. As he held his hand out of the window so that no blood would stain his relative's floor, he silently prayed to anyone who may be listening.

"_Please, if there is anyone out there, I want to live. I want to have a life, just a normal life, but first I need to learn. I need to learn to live, and I need to learn to fight so my friends may live._"

Little did he know, that one wish, let out into the darkness, would change his world.

* * *

Two figures appeared silently in his room a few hours later. One a woman with unearthly beauty and ancient sapphire eyes, the other an elderly gentleman, the very picture of sophistication and style. They looked around them with interest. This ratty and run down room contained many things they had never seen before. Then the woman saw the cage and the temperature in the room dropped several degrees while magic filled the air.

The sound of Hedwig's cage exploding woke Harry up. Seeing the two strangers in his room and fearing for his owl, he leapt from the bed and grabbed his wand before rolling over to the window.

"Hedwig, you ok girl?" he got a hoot in response, "Who the hell are you and what are you doing here? If I find a single scratch on Hedwig here later, I will find you and make you wish you had never been born!"

The woman spoke up at this, "Oh my, this is interesting. Papa, I told you this was the right place. She tells me this Harry is her warlord prince. If he can make these kinds of bonds to kindred untrained… imagine his potential when we teach him."

"That could be Jaenelle, but perhaps we should explain things to him first, can't you feel him spiraling down to his core? I thought only you did that." The older man replied.

"Again, who are you? And what do you mean that she told you? You better start talking or I am going to start cursing. Ministry be damned no one attacks me in my own home or threatens my owl."

And then there was a third man in his room, massive and powerful. The bronze skin gleamed in the moonlight, naked from the waist up, his stance screamed threat. From the placement of his feet, the look in his eyes, to the way he held his wings…. Wait wings? Harry quickly swiveled to face this new threat, his wand pointed straight at his new opponent's heart.

"I don't know what you are thinking you will do with that stick, but if you are thinking of harming my queen, you are going to need a man's weapon and few more millennia of training." The new man said as he silently and wandlessly called a fearsome bladed stick into his grasp.

"Males! Alright boys put your sticks away. You can have your pissing contest later, but for now I need to talk with Harry here. Lucivar, put your weapon away. Harry is it? I would appreciate it if you could put yours away as well. I promised Hedwig here I would not hurt a member of her court, and she assured me that you wouldn't either without good reason. Queens keep their promises." To everyone's surprise, the new man, Lucivar, vanished his stick. The woman's voice sounded as if it was used to being obeyed.

"Ok, that's twice now you've mentioned talking to Hedwig, and twice you've been called a queen. I only know of one queen, and you aren't her. Let's start with the obvious. Who are you? How did you get here? And are you wizards and witches?"

"I am Jaenelle Angelline-SaDiablo, Queen of Ebon Askavi, High Priestess of the Hourglass. This is my Steward and adoptive father, Saetan Daemon SaDiablo, High Priest of the Hourglass, High Lord of Hell, and Warlord Prince of Dhemlan. That is his son, my brother, and my Master of The Guard, Lucivar Yaslana, and Warlord Prince of Ebon Rih. We rode the winds here. And while I have never heard of wizards, I am a witch."

"Ok, you folks have almost as many titles as the Headmaster had. So allow me to introduce myself. I am Harry Potter, some people call me the Boy-Who-Lived but I don't much like it. I hate fuss and formality. You may just call me Harry if you wish. This lovely owl on my shoulder, as you may have guessed, is Hedwig. She is my familiar. I am a wizard, a magic user, a male witch if you must. We have lived together and worked together for six years now. Now perhaps we should leave my room and discuss things like civilized people. We can start with why you came to my room in the middle of the night, and why you blew up Hedwig's cage."

"We don't have to leave the room to discuss why you caged a fellow queen, kept her locked in a small prison! We came to help you but I'm not certain you deserve our help."

"I invite you to determine which side of MY door the locks are on. Perhaps when you are done there we can be civil?" Harry responded as Hedwig gave several indignant hoots to the strange woman. "She and I are both prisoners here. Now give me a few moments and I will unlock the door and we can sit down over tea. I must ask however that we refrain from making too much noise however. If my muggle relatives were to wake up, things would get… unpleasant."

For the second time, the elder man spoke, and this time his voice echoed with the power of thunder though he spoke very softly. "Who would be foolish enough to cage a Warlord Prince? Why haven't you killed them yet?"

"Most of the world is holding me captive. Some want me safe, some want me dead, and most just don't ever want to see or hear from me again. As to their deaths, sadly it is illegal in this society to just kill people who annoy you. I'm a bit surprised you didn't already know all of this I must admit." He replied offhandedly as he worked with a pin to open the lock.

"I thought you said you could use Craft? Why struggle with a physical lock when it can be opened with a thought?" Said the winged intruder.

"Craft? Oh, you mean magic. Again, you are remarkably ill informed for a group of wizards. Since I am not of age for a few more weeks, I am not allowed to practice magic outside of school lessons. If I do, they will expel me from my school and break my wand. Given that I do not wish to die a bloody and painful death, I am stuck living as a muggle for the time being." Suddenly the lock clicked open. "Thank you, who ever did that. Now, if you will wait downstairs, I will be with you as soon as I am dressed. I am still very curious about your presence, not to mention how and why you appeared in the middle of my room in the middle of the night."

"Not a problem." Replied the queen as she lead the other two men out of the door.

* * *

Harry hurriedly got dressed and went down the stairs to find his uninvited guests sitting on his relative's couch and chair. Hedwig refused to be moved from his shoulder longer than it took him to put on his shirt and robes. Seeing the dress and attitudes of two thirds of his guests, he decided that dress robes were in order and donned his emerald green robes.

"Alright, now that we all know each other and are more comfortable, may I offer you some tea before we talk?"

"Perhaps you may get some for Jaenelle, Lucivar and I will have yarbarah if you have it." Saetan suggested.

"I am sorry, but I don't know what yarbarah is to be honest, if you tell me I will do my best to provide. May I suggest a Breakfast Tea for you ma'am?"

"Yarbarah is wine mixed with blood. Don't worry it need not be human blood, though it does lend a certain flavor."

"I'll see what I can do for you." He replied uneasily, turning to leave. He hurried up to his room and grabbed the bottle of dragon's blood from his potions kit, he had maybe half a pint left. Returning to the kitchen he put the kettle on the stove and added water for two cups while he gathered cups, saucers, spoons and the sugar and cream. Hoping he could convince one of his visitors to perform a refilling charm later, he swiped one of his Aunt's bottles of wine from the rack, and two glasses from the cupboard. Returning to the living room he served Jaenelle and indicated that the others could mix their own.

"Now, would you mind terribly explaining why you have decided to come visit me this evening? I would also like to know how you got into my room. I happen to know there are wards in place to prevent apparition and also to prevent people with hostile intent from finding me. If those wards weren't in place, one or more of us would be dead by now. I am not usually so forgiving or accepting of strangers."

"Of course Harry, Hedwig, we came because I heard you call for us. You asked for someone to teach you. We have come. Lucivar will teach you to fight, Saetan will teach you to live, and I…." She was suddenly interrupted by Saetan who had taken his first sip of the hot blood and wine mixture he had made.

"Mother Night!" he whispered as he shuddered.

"What is it papa?" Jaenelle asked.

"Taste it, I have never tasted such blood. Not even yours tastes like that!"

"Is something wrong with it?" Harry asked. "I am sorry, it is the best I had available and you did ask for blood."

"Wow," Lucivar said as he finally recovered his voice, "that is amazing. I can't say much for the wine, but that is definitely powerful blood. Where did it come from?"

"That is dragon's blood. It came from a particularly spectacular Hungarian Horntail mother as she was nesting with her eggs. It was given to me as a gift after I bested the dragon in a tournament." He explained. "I haven't noticed it to be any stronger than other dragons' blood, but it does have sentimental value which is useful in some more obscure potions."

"You have access to dragon's blood?" Saetan asked with a surprised note in his voice.

"Of course, but as I said, this is special. Now if you don't mind may we get back on topic?"

"I apologize."

"Now, Jaenelle, you said you had something to teach me?"

"Yes, as I said, Lucivar can teach you to fight, Saetan to live, and I can teach you to heal. We might explore other areas, and I dare say once he meets you my husband may wish to teach you something. It seems that the two of you have something in common. We can teach you to embrace what it means to be a Warlord Prince, to do what needs to be done no matter the price."

"That sounds very interesting. Where would we be learning? I can't train here. My relatives will barely tolerate my presence as it is, and I am surprised that they haven't stormed down here yet. Also to consider is what this will cost me. I cannot imagine that personal instruction from a queen would be cheap."

"Good, he has already picked up the first rule of what it is to be a Warlord Prince. 'Everything has a Price'" Lucivar chuckled. "We may make a warrior out of you yet."

"That's if I decide to study with you. While you are certainly look impressive Sir, I don't know for certain that you have anything to teach me. Perhaps if you could demonstrate some of what you feel I need to learn."

"That will have to wait for a while whelp, unless you want me to wreck your room? I can teach you to fight, to be unstoppable with knife, bow, or Eyrien stick. I can teach you to fly as if you had wings. I daresay you have more the build for it than Cat here." He added nodding to Jaenelle.

"I can already fly and have been in many battles. I have yet to die. If you don't mind, I would quite like to challenge you to a flying contest later if we continue. It will be interesting to see how well those wings of yours work"

"And it will be interesting to see how well someone without wings deals with the open air." He replied with a feral grin.

Sensing the testosterone level rising in the room Jaenelle broke back into the conversation as Hedwig nipped Harry's ear. "Well I for starters can teach you something right now that you have been lacking for a long time. Hedwig tells me that you can speak with her in a way, but that it is less than perfect. How would you like to understand her perfectly? I can show you, and it is the first step of many to learning what your world has apparently forgotten."

"That would be very nice." He replied. "What do you think Hedwig, can we trust her? You have a say in this too." Hedwig hooted happily and bobbed her head affirmative.

"Alright, if you would give me your hand we can begin. Now don't be afraid, but I will have to touch your mind to teach you this. I won't intrude into your thoughts, but we need to at least come together part way to show you."

When he slowly gave her his hand, he felt her leading his mind down a short garden path. Then he met a feminine presence that was very happy to find him, she felt excited and happy but also very regal. There was no doubt, this was Hedwig.

/_My Harry/_ he heard /This witch has much to teach us, she has told me of a place we may go and will be welcome, where war will not find us./

Then he heard Jaenelle's voice in his head /_Yes, come to my family home and learn our skills. When the time is right you can return and face your destiny, but for now you need a safe place to learn and grow. There is much you do not know./_

"Wow that is an entirely different way to speak. I never imagined that Hedwig and I could speak like that. I knew she was intelligent and very smart, but I never thought I would speak to her like that." Harry said with much enthusiasm. "Can you speak to anyone like that?"

"Why don't you try? Think of a witch or warlord you want to speak with, and try to imagine where they are. Send a probe from your mind to them and connect as you did with Hedwig."

"Ok, but first, I keep hearing Warlord and Warlord Prince tonight. Maybe you could explain that while I decide who to contact."

"Your world has obviously forgotten much. A warlord is a male witch. Any male who uses magic, or Craft as we call it, can be called a warlord, but it is also a title or social station. The average man is a Warlord. Above them are the Princes, who are born with more leadership skills. Princes lead the warlords for the most part. Warlord Princes however are something else entirely. A Warlord Prince is the very essence of savage primal male. They are passionate in all things. If they love, they love deeply and completely. If they need to be violent, they are capable of killing anyone and anything until they are calmed down. Warlords are further broken down by their strength in Craft or Magic. The stronger the male, the darker their Jewels.

"With females, it is more intricate. Any female who can do Craft is a Witch. But there are also Black Widows, who weave webs of dreams and visions. They learn the intricacies of poisons and the future. Priestess' manage civil affairs and small communities. They are equivalent to Princes. Healers, naturally are gifted when it comes to healing and caring for others. Queens are the center of our society. They rule, protect, and ground the others. We also heal the land and prevent you Warlord Princes from killing everyone.

"Have you ever been right on the edge of killing someone? You wanted them to suffer in horrible ways. You could have done it too, deep inside you know you are capable of it. The look on your face and Hedwig tell me it has happened more often than you like. Haven't you ever noticedthat Hedwig can calm you down in an instant? That she grounds you back to reality, completes you where you are weak. She keeps you from burning out your mind or your jewels in rage or lust."

"Jewels? What do you mean by that? If you are trying to make a sexual comment, I think you are a bit off."

"No one here wears Jewels? How do you channel magic if you don't have jewels?" She sputtered.

"No, I can't recall ever hearing of anyone channeling magic through a stone. We use a wand for that purpose." He said as he pulled his wand to demonstrate. Seeing an inquisitive look, he handed his wand over to Saetan for him to examine.

"Ah, so you did have your weapon out. I shall have to remember that, though I doubt you would have been able to do much to me." Lucivar looked pleased and concerned at the same time. "Your instincts are good whelp, but you put the most dangerous man in the room behind you, it was a mistake that would have killed you."

"I doubt it actually. You see there is something about me you don't know. There is a prophecy, a vision. There is only one man who can kill me, and I am the only one who can kill him. We are bound by destiny to face each other. At the age of one, the most evil wizard in the last five hundred years cast the killing curse at me from less than five feet away. No one has ever survived that curse, until me."

"How little you know child. I have been High Priest of the Hourglass for more than fifty thousand years. In that time I have woven thousands of webs for visions of the future. The future can be changed. Visions and prophecies show what CAN happen, not what will. But this is a lesson for another day." Saetan looked slightly impatient. "Have you decided whether to join us or not? This is a chance not offered to many."

"Just a moment, I finally decided who to contact with this mind speech. After I explain that I will be leaving to learn, there is one more test I wish to make. We will see if there really is something only you can teach me."

/_Hermione, wake up! It's Harry and I need to speak with you./_

/_Harry, is that you? What are you doing in my head/_

/_Cool, it really works! Anyway, I've got a bit of a situation here on Privet Drive./_

/_What's going on? Are you in danger/_

/_Some wizards and a witch I don't know just showed up in my relative's house. They say they are here to be my new teachers, and they certainly have the titles to back it up. This is just the first thing they taught me./_

/_Harry, how do you know they are who they say they are? You don't know them, they may not be safe./_

/_I already figured that out. I am going to apperate to headquarters. Since the Headmaster died, no one new has been able to gain access. If Dumbledore gave them access they must be trustworthy. In the morning, Floo to Ron and get his family to come by. If they are legit, I will leave a letter on the table. If they aren't I will be waiting for the Order there. If I am gone but there is no letter, it was a trap send help./_

/_Be careful Harry/_

/_I will./_

"Ok, allow me to go grab my trunk, and I will be ready. I first have to drop a letter off somewhere. Consider it a test. I will be headed to a house hidden by one of the greatest wizards I have ever known. It is in London, which is a day and a half walk to the north west. If you can find me, I will pay any price and do what you ask. If not I and my friends will come looking for you. Pray we don't find you."

"Sounds like an interesting test, our Craft against your friend's magic? And just how are you planning to evade our watch long enough to enter this hidden house?"

"Sorry, that is part of the test. Feel free to use your mind speech, jewels or whatever else you can do. Just be warned that if you succeed, I will be dying to learn how."

"We'll even give you a minute head start."

"I don't need it. I know exactly where I am going." With that, Harry and Hedwig disapperated.

* * *

"Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful! Did he just…?" Lucivar swore.

"It certainly appeared so. He just ignored the winds and threw himself into the Darkness. Long distance too if he's telling the truth. He's got potential." Saetan replied.

Jaenelle just had to add her two cents. "Hey, I was hopping between the realms at five. He's making blind jumps at seventeen and you two are getting excited?"

"Cat, not everyone can do what you do. Hell, Sadi and I cant do half the stuff you do. Maybe this kid is worth the effort."


	2. The Hourglass

Disclaimer; Not mine. All theirs. 

/_This means mind speak, or telepathy_/

* * *

Harry appeared with a crack in the dining room of 12 Grimmauld Place. He was unsure what to think about the events and people earlier. On the one hand, these mysterious people claimed that they could teach him forgotten magics, on the other none of them even used a wand. There was a brief display of wandless talent from two of them and of course the mental speech from the Lady, but their abilities were as yet unkown.

Harry REALLY disliked unknowns. How had they arrived if not apparition or portkey. How had they found him in the first place. How had the winged one made himself invisible? Where had they come from that they didn't know about wands and laws against murder?

Confident in the security of the Fidelius Harry sat down to write his note for Hermione, just in case. He might have to stretch the truth a bit, but no one would ever know.

_To Whom it may concern;_

_I have left the safety (ha safety!) of my relative's house to pursue the education that you were unable to provide me. My new tutors are all masters of their arts and coincidentally have arranged to pick me up from Headquarters. Yes, they will come here. In other words, Albus told them the Secret, so he must trust them. Mrs. Angelline-SaDiablo, Mr. Yaslana, and Mr. SaDiablo have agreed to teach me dueling and healing skills in addition to the mind arts. Mr. SaDiablo's son, who is Mrs. Angelline-Sadiablo's husband, may instruct me in other obscure Arts as well. _

_Moody, I know very well your distrust for anyone you have not pumped full of veritaserum first, but I am inclined to trust them. As you are well aware, Dumbledore felt my learning the mind arts was critical for our side to survive. Now I am taking up my tutelage with someone Albus found trustworthy even if they are complete unknowns to you._

_Respectfully yours,_

_Harry James Potter._

_

* * *

_

Just as he finished the letter to his satisfaction, there was a knock at the door. Harry was mildly surprised, but Hedwig seemed ecstatic. Perhaps the promise that she too would be trained was all that she needed to be happy. After the other revelations of the night, Harry was beginning to feel very sorry for the way Hedwig was treated. If what they said earlier was true, Hedwig deserved to be treated as the queen she was and have all the education she wanted.

When he opened the door, he was met by a smirking Lucivar Yaslana. The other two were behind him and likewise held looks of amusement.

"Nice try. If we were anyone else, this might have worked. I see that there are sight, sound, and psychic shields in place around it, but they are only grey strength. Even I could see them. To Saetan and Jaenelle, this place stood out like a sore thumb."

"Well it must not have stood out too badly; I've been waiting fifteen minutes now."

"Actually," Saetan interjected, "it does. We just rode the winds to a place a few blocks north and had to walk back. Most of us prefer not to throw ourselves through the darkness as you did. Aside from the noise factor, its just a bit unsettling to civilized folk."

"Personally I agree. I don't much like apparition either, but it is a far sight better than portkeys and floo. I much prefer to fly. That is where I can feel truly free."

"I suspect that you will have no problems getting along with Lucivar and Jaenelle then. Those two fly like they were born in the air. Just don't let them talk you into trying the Runs before you know you are ready."

"Speaking of flying, I am studying to become an animagus. I appear to be an owl animagus. I haven't progressed far yet, just had the visions that let me know my form, that of a snowy owl like Hedwig. Can any of you help me speed up that training?"

"What does animagus mean?"

"That means I am trying to learn to turn myself into an animal whenever I want. It's a rare skill, but one that could be very useful."

"That skill is completely unknown to us. Are you sure it can be done?"

"Can you perform mind speech too sir? I have some memories of four others that I know can do this, and I know my father could too, but I never met him so I cant show you that."

"I would never go through someone else's memories! That is a horrible invasion of privacy. If we ever do that it is only in the direst emergency or among close family members." Saetan was appalled.

"That is good to know sir, but if you would like I will still show you only those memories."

"Papa is too stuffy and proper, but I will admit I am very curious! With all the problems between kindred and people, such a skill could be very useful. May I see what you mean?"

"Of course you may. Just come meet me in my mind like before and I will focus on remembering the right things." He said while focusing on remembering McGonagall, Sirius, Wormtail, and Skeeter. The last two weren't pleasant memories by far, but it got the point across. He also included what he knew of how the transformation happened, and what he knew about his father.

"Very interesting! Now I understand somewhat better the bond between you and Hedwig. You both can feel the owl inside you and that is part of what has drawn you together so tightly. It will be interesting to see how the other kindred react to you."

"Kindred?"

"Magical animals, creatures other than humans who can use Craft."

"Oh, well I get along with most of them in this world. The most important thing is to remember that they are equals. They may be different but they are magical and deserve respect."

"Boyo, you just earned major points with that answer. Cat here has a very special relationship with the Kindred. They seem to like her more than the rest of us, but that's because she always knew what you just said. The rest of us had to learn it. Keep that attitude and you will go far." Lucivar seemed to be gaining respect for Harry by the minute.

"Ok, well before we get down to anything serious, or leave to start this training, I think you need to know who I am and why I need your help. You apparently heard my wish and came to answer it, but now I need you to understand why I was calling for help in the first place."

* * *

Over the next hour, Harry filled the three in on some of the things he had been through, and the state of the wizarding world. They were interested to learn about Dumbledore and Voldemort, and the way magical education worked. They were appalled (as most everyone is when told) to learn how Harry had grown up. Jaenelle just hardened her expression, but Saetan and Lucivar looked ready to kill. Suddenly, all three froze, the same thought had just popped into their minds. They looked at each other with eyes full of fear and whispered a name, "Daemon".

/_Sadi will turn this kid into a nightmare. I know they both have pure hearts, but they are way too much alike_/ Lucivar voiced his fears /_They both grew up slaves, unloved and hated. They are both legends in their own time with people who love or hate them without ever meeting them. And I can't be sure but that torture curse he was talking about might be as bad as a Ring. Those two will either be powerful allies or deadly enemies_./

/_I'll see to it that Daemon knows not to push too hard, but he may want to teach him. I shudder to think what he will teach him. I only ever danced with The Sadist that one time in Hyall, but that was too much. Now there are two of them. Mark my words, this kid will come out of his birthright ceremony with a dark jewel. He might not be as strong as you or I, Lucivar, but if his destiny is to fight a grey or ebon-grey warlord, he will be powerful._/ Saetan was a little upset too. It seems that they had come to the rescue of something they never expected. /_Jaenelle, can you sense what Jewel Harry will wear? I can tell its dark, but I cant get a firm grasp on it without being in his mind_./

/_I do know, but I won't be telling yet. That is for him to decide_./

Harry finished his story and looked at his guests, the question he had on his mind the whole night once again came to mind. "Well, since I am going to be learning and training with you, I need to know what you want in return, where we will be doing this training, and when we will start."

"Well boyo, speaking for my brother and I, we will teach you for free. Daemon and I can help you learn what it really means to be a Warlord Prince, and how to fight properly. We've fought people like this Voldemort before, and we know how they work. But we might ask for your help later, so maybe it isn't so free after all."

"I will teach you healing and some of the black widow's craft in exchange for more you teaching me what you can about this animagus transformation you are doing. Let's call it a trade of services."

"I can teach you all the rules of etiquette, how to run a business and a territory, how to interact in social functions. I will teach you all the basics of being a high class gentleman. In return I will want a few supplies, and some of that dragon's blood. We will begin teaching tomorrow after we return to my home. We will study in SaDiablo Hall, my family home in Dhemlan."

"Very well, I accept your terms. Leave me a list of supplies and I can get them for you in the morning. I know where to go for most things we might need. Will a pint of dragon's blood per month be acceptable to you?"

"That would be quite satisfactory." Saetan said with a gleam in his eye.

"Thank you all. Now let me show you to some guest rooms. I need to talk to some people before we leave, but we can get started tomorrow."

Harry showed them to some spare rooms on the second floor, then returned to the kitchen and got ready to visit the Weasleys. With a flash of fire and a call of "The Burrow!" he was gone.

* * *

When he got to the Burrow he was quite surprised to find he was not the only person awake. Mrs. Weasley and Charlie were in the kitchen discussing things in quiet, serious tones.

"Harry dear! What in the world are you doing here? And at this time of night? It is nearly two in the morning!"

"Hello Mrs. Weasley, I actually came to talk to Ron and Ginny, but now that I see Charlie, I guess I should talk to him as well. Something has come up and I need to leave. Before Dumbledore died, he arranged for me to get some tutoring over the summer. When he died, it disrupted the schedule a bit. Even though it is a bit earlier than originally planned, we need to begin. I came here because Ron and I made some plans about the Summer, when we thought Dumbledore's death was going to cancel the plans. I am here to say goodbye and make a few promises.

"Charlie, do you have any of that Horntail blood left? I need six pints of dragon's blood before tomorrow at noon, and for reasons I would rather not discuss, that blood would be best."

"Six pints? Harry, do I want to know what you are getting into? That's an awful lot of blood. And with prices how they are? Now it just so happens I do have a few pints set aside. She got injured in a fight with one of the other mothers a few weeks back and while tending the wound I thought to catch some of the blood. But quality blood like that is fifteen galleons per cup right now."

"I'll give you twenty, and buy all you have. Meet me at ten o'clock at the Leaky Cauldron. Now if you will excuse me, I need to see Ron and Ginny before I get to bed."

"If you are sure Harry… I will be there. I have just over eight pints, but we will call it eight for the sake of simplicity, and since you are paying so well."

"I am sure. By the way Mrs. Weasley, Hermione is likely to be by here tomorrow morning. Let her know everything is fine please? I was a little surprised when my tutors showed up and might have put her on alert concerning whether they were who they said they were. It's all cleared up now."

"Ok dear, well go on and let the kids know what is so urgent and get some rest yourself."

"Thanks Mrs. Weasley."

"Ron, wake up mate! Get up now or I let Ginny hit you with the Bat Bogey Hex."

"Huh? I'm 'wake… don't hex me! "

"Ron, wake up! Harry wants to talk to us and won't do it without you awake."

"Harry! What are doing here? You weren't even home for a week!"

"Alright, well now that you are awake, we can start. Long story short, I'm going away for some training. I can't beat Voldemort right now, he has too many years experience. But I met some people who can help. We are going to go train and learn. I will be coming back to Hogwarts next year and if my suspicions are correct, I will have a few interesting things to teach you guys."

"Like what Harry? And what do you mean you guys? Are you including Ginny too?"

/_Hello, Ron, nice mind you've got here, ever try using it_/

"What was that? How did you get into my head? Where'd you learn to do that?"

"In a few hours, they taught me more about mind Arts than Snape ever did." He said, while also flooding Ginny's poor mind with his true feelings for her, and how sorry he was to have abandoned her after the funeral. She just sat there with her eye's glazed and gave a small shudder before blushing entirely too red.

"What did you just say to my sister? Why is she blushing like that?"

"I didn't say a single word to her. But now that you mention it, maybe I should. Say Ginny, I hear rumors of a Halloween ball next year, would you go with me?"

"After what you just did? Try to stop me!"

"What did you do to my baby sister? Keep your mind powers away from her!"

"Ron, keep your voice down, you don't want Mum to wake up."

"She's already awake. And as a bit of forewarning Ginny, you may have to share me that night. Hedwig is rather picky as you well know. Apparently this mind speaking stuff works on her too. She's a witch, or as close as an owl can be. Anyway, it seems I've been serving her for the past six years, instead of the other way around."

"Ok mate, now I know you're just yanking my chain. Talking to an owl! You're serving her? Good one mate, I don't know how you pranked me to think you were a mind reader, but ha-ha, jokes over."

"Whatever you say mate, I need some sleep. I'll see you guys in September if I can't get some time off before then. I'll send messages when I can but I think I'll be out of contact for most of the summer."

* * *

Harry woke with a groan. He really should have gone to bed earlier, but there were things that needed to be done, and he may as well get started. He quickly got dressed and wandered downstairs to make some breakfast.

Jaenelle was the first one down for breakfast. She was living proof that even queens don't look perfect first thing in the morning. "Coffee, I need coffee."

"Blue pot, the red one is tea. Sit down and I will have eggs and bacon for you in just one moment."

"Oh no, not another one!"

"What's that?"

"You can cook? Why is it everybody but me can cook? I can move mountains and travel between realms, but I can't cook! Life is so unfair…" She was clearly pouting.

"That is so everyone knows that no one is perfect, Cat." Lucivar chuckled as he came down the stairs.

Saetan eventually made an appearance, but just ate breakfast quietly listening to Lucivar and Jaenelle bicker and taunt each other like siblings. Harry was strongly reminded of the twins and Ginny. She certainly seemed to have a sense of humor, he wondered how far that went…

"Sir," Harry addressed Saetan, "Do you have that list of supplies for me? We can go get them after breakfast."

Saetan passed over a list with an assortment of herbs and ingredients, plus a few things Harry didn't understand. "Sir, why do we need four candles and a candle stick? Don't you have such things at home?"

"Yes actually I do, but we need to perform a ritual to get there. This ritual will open a gateway to a place near the Hall. The problem is that while I have them, I have no way to get to them, so we will need new ones. The candle holder must be very precisely aligned. Can you arrange to have one made quickly?"

"Yes of course, there are several merchants who specialize in magical equipment and instruments. If we can't find one, I will have it made. Money isn't really a problem for me.

"Before we leave, I am going to have to talk to you all about clothing. While Saetan and Jaenelle could pass for normal, you will still look out of place. Lucivar, those wings are a bit of a problem. Also, a shirt is in order. Can you hide them under an illusion? Or wear a cloak perhaps? I might be able to find one to fit if you do not have one. Another thing to consider, whenever wizards get together, they cannot resist showing off. If you want to be given respect and not be hassled, dress like it. You three may be the most influential people back home but I guarantee no one here knows who you are."

* * *

Twenty minutes later Harry was strolling down Diagon Alley in the early morning sunshine. He had left his trio of teachers at Florean Fortescue's with instructions that anything they wanted was on his tab while he went out to gather everything he needed.

Stopping at Gringotts he withdrew a thousand galleons from what Sirius left him, and asked one of the goblins to bring him the small chest of gemstones from the Black vault as well. After all, his new friends were going to teach him to use Jewels right?

A quick trip to the apothecary got him all the herbs and magical ingredients on the list. The magical instrument shop said they would have his candelabra made by noon (at great expense, but Harry was spending today and didn't particularly care. He also picked up another trunk at the luggage store. Nothing fancy like what Moody has, just another school trunk expanded to be larger inside than out.

As he passed Quality Quidditch Supplies he suddenly had an idea. Didn't Saetan say that Jaenelle loved to fly? What if he got another broomstick and let her ride it? Then when Ginny's birthday rolled around in two months, he could say it was used and therefore not too extravagant… It just might work. So after excusing it to himself as "for the war effort" he bought another Firebolt, and left with complimentary pads and broomstick servicing kit. He stopped, thought about it and went back in to buy a new set of balls too. Who knows maybe he could find friends to play with where ever he was going.

After storing his new purchases in his trunk he stopped by the Leaky Cauldron to pick up the dragon's blood from Charlie. The poor man's eyes boggled when Harry put three hundred sixty galleons on the table and packed the small bottles in his new trunk next to a Firebolt still in its packaging and a chest of fine gemstones. He also asked Tom to sell him a few of the finest bottles of wine he had, not wanting to get caught empty handed in case anyone else wanted some of that weird drink Saetan and Lucivar had the other night. Tom pulled four dusty bottles of red wine out from behind the bar and Harry paid happily.

Since he still had a bit of time to kill; Harry decided to go to the bookstore while he waited for the candle stick to be ready. After choosing every book available on animagus transformations and the various methods to approach them, Harry raided the charms and defense sections. He noticed Saetan and Lucivar trying to drag Jaenelle away from the bookstore's entrance, apparently they had finished their drinks and ice cream and wanted to explore. Harry wasn't too concerned; he would find them when he needed them.

* * *

Finally noon rolled around and Harry went to pick up the new candle stick for the Gateway ritual.

As he was leaving the instrument shop and looking around for the others, four Death Eaters suddenly appeared in front of him. People ran screaming into shops and alleys, hoping to escape getting cursed.

"Is ickle little Potter still here? Is he crying for his lost mentor?" A sing song voice called out, a voice Harry instantly recognized.

"Lestrange! Finally come out from behind your half blood of a master? You think you can win here? Leave before I show you the awful truth of how weak you really are."

"Avada Kedavra!" Called a haughty voice to the left of Bellatrix. Lucius Malfoy, Harry should have known he would show up.

Harry jumped to the left, casting a stunner of his own that actually hit one of the masked people. Unfortunately he was almost instantly revived by the fourth.

"What do you think you are doing?" Jaenelle's voice called from behind him. She and Saetan looked absolutely terrifying, the air chilled as they approached. Her eyes looked like violent maelstroms of sapphire, ancient and haunted. The stones in front of him began to frost in mid summer.

"Avada Kedavra!" called Bellatrix, aiming for Jaenelle.

"Noooo!" Harry screamed as he leaped between the two. He didn't know why he did it, but pure instinct to protect kicked in and he prepared to die. Suddenly an ebony shield enveloped him like a cocoon, a split second before a black one formed around Jaenelle and an ebon grey dome formed over the Death Eaters.

The killing curse splashed against the shield, and the crowd went absolutely silent. The killing curse was unblockable, no one survived it, and yet Harry Potter jumped in front of one and blocked it too. Or so they thought.

"What is going on here?" Jaenelle asked, her voice colder than ice and harder than diamonds.

Harry was moving on instincts now, somewhere in that underused part of the human mind something screamed that he should submit. He kneeled and cast his eyes down. "Your Majesty, these four arrived looking for me. They tried to kill me. When you arrived, they tried to kill you so I jumped in front of the killing curse they sent at you."

"They tried to kill you and how did you respond?"

"I stunned one of them and was about to attack the rest when you arrived."

"I am disappointed in you," and every male in the crowd shivered, hoping she was never disappointed in them. "If someone ever tries to kill you again, you are ordered to kill them immediately. Save politeness for polite society."

"Yes my Lady."

"Lucivar, come out here."

A sight shield dropped nearby and Lucivar kneeled. "My Lady?"

"These _things_ tried to kill a member of my Court. Execute them."

There were screams of protest from under the dome.

"_SILENCE!_ I am Jaenelle Angelline-SaDiablo, Queen of Ebon Askavi, High Priestess of the Hourglass. If anyone, no matter who they are, tries to harm a member of my Court there is only one punishment. Harry Potter and Hedwig the Owl are members of my fourth Circle and my personal apprentices. Justice will be swift."

The sides of the dome lightened so that everybody could see the people inside. Their masks and hoods were stripped from their heads. With a snap of his fingers and a flash from his ring, Lucivar burst the hearts and burned their minds to ash. Smoke poured from their ears as they slid to the ground, already dead.

"My Lady, may I humbly suggest we retire to my home? The streets are not safe. I have gathered all the supplies you have asked and acquired the payment for your Steward." Harry asked, still keeping his eyes down. Hedwig dived down from a nearby roof top and spread her wings as she bowed.

"Of course Harry." She replied, her voice returning to normal, the fun back in her eyes. "We will catch the winds and await you in the parlor."

"I will be right along. There will be some questions about this, and I know the people who will come to clean it up."

As they disappeared, Harry sent out two psychic threads as Jaenelle had showed him last night.

/_Tonks, Kingsley! Don't ask questions, just apperate out to Fortescue's there's been a Death Eater attack and for the sake of the Order you two want to be the Aurors down here._/

He felt puzzlement and confusion before he broke the link. A moment later two pops broke the stunned silence that still pervaded the Alley.

Kingsley and Tonks arrived looking for a fight. Unfortunately, there wasn't one to be had.

"SHIT! Harry, what are the three Lestranges and Malfoy doing lying on the ground?" Tonks asked while Kingsley checked their wands and asked the witnesses what happened.

"They attacked me. Lucius shot a killing curse that I dodged. The larger guy there, shot one at a friend of mine. I jumped in front of it and took it in the chest. We were really pissed about being attacked and them trying to kill us. So my friend slapped a dome over them to keep them from apparating or portkeying away while we decided what to do with them. The Queen ordered them executed for attacking members of her Court. A quick spell later and they are smoking out the ears and dead."

"You jumped in front of a killing curse? Are you insane? And how did you survive?"

"Well, at the time, I was desperately trying to protect the Queen, so it seemed like the only thing to do. I survived because of a certain shield. I'm sure everyone here would tell you about it."

"Ok, now aside from the fact that you can't block a killing curse, you've mentioned a queen twice now. Tell me about her and her involvement here today."

"She is my Mistress. I am her apprentice. She is the Queen of Ebon Askavi and has traveled a long way to find me. We will be leaving this afternoon to her homeland. When the Death Eaters attacked me and tried to kill her, her Master of the Guard executed the attackers. If you want to talk about more details, I suggest we go to Headquarters. They are in the parlor having drinks while I encourage you not to ask too many questions."

"Which Headquarters?"

"The one for a certain club that really likes fried chicken."

Comprehension dawned in Tonks' eyes. "But no one new can get there anymore."

"So they must not be new. No one knew all of his contacts and associates. Given that we are talking about a Queen of a magical nation, it's pretty unlikely that you've met her or her two escorts. Yet they had no problem at all finding the place." Harry conveniently danced around the truth.

"Well Mr. Potter, I don't think I have any more questions for you. You are free to leave." She declared louder than she had to. "Be sure to make an appointment at St. Mungo's, we don't know what taking another killing curse will do to you."

Harry went home and decided to destroy a certain letter. Enough people now knew he was leaving, they'd just have to fill in the blanks for the rest.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Harry Potter Serving Foreign Queen**_

_**By Roger Stevens**_

_Harry Potter made an appearance in Diagon Alley today, but it was a very unexpected visit indeed. He was accompanied by three strangers, all looking very aristocratic. One was an elderly gentleman with a black cloak decorated in spider webs with a red Hourglass in the middle of his back. He moved with uncommon grace and poise that demanded recognition. The woman, later identified as Queen Jaenelle Angelline SaDiablo, occasionally referred to him as "Papa" or "High Lord". She was the picture of elegance and definitely had a presence about her. The last man, apparently called Lucivar, was covered in a simple grey cloak with a hood. After the attack, he removed the cloak, revealing an impressive set of muscles and a pair of wings. On the Queen's orders, he executed four Alleged Death Eaters. The Aurors did not arrive until after they had left._

_But most interesting in this tale is the actions of one Harry Potter. The four people arrived together, but Harry quickly left them while he went out to buy a long list of items. No one is sure of all the items purchased, and some merchants aren't telling, but it is clear that Mr. Potter spent a small fortune before noon. Every where the other three went, it was reported that Mr. Potter paid for everything. Mr. Potter was also seen carrying a large chest out of Gringotts early in the morning._

_Why was Harry Potter acting as a common servant? Why was he paying out of his pockets for this group of foreign wizards? Why when one of the Death Eaters fired a killing curse at the Queen, did Harry Potter jump in front of it?_

_Who are these mysterious trio? What is the connection?_

_**Harry Potter Gone Dark?**_

**_By Rita Skeeter_**

_Has Harry Potter gone Dark? That is the question on a lot of minds tonight. It seems the local golden boy has gotten himself mixed with a rather interesting crowd. First we have an organization known as "The Hourglass." One has to wonder who and what they are. The mysterious queen that Mr. Potter seems to be serving claims to be the High Priestess of the Hourglass. She claims he is in the "fourth circle." _

_Clues to the purpose of the group might be found in the outfits worn by Mr. Potter's companions. The older man, known as the "High Lord" to the others, wore a very interesting cloak. On the back were a spider web and a bright red hourglass. The spider web, according to witnesses had thirteen rings around the center. The red hourglass and spider web suggest a Black Widow spider, a notorious creature. Not only incredibly venomous, it also kills and eats its mates. This theory is further supported by the necklace the supposed queen was wearing. A golden spider with an hourglass made of crystal on its back. The lower portion of the hourglass was filled with what appeared to be powdered ruby._

_The actions of this group speak even louder. Throughout the day, all four individuals were seen to use wandless magic of an incredible level. Mr. Potter himself used wandless magic to create shields around himself, the queen, and a group of alleged Death Eaters. Most incredibly, a killing curse sent at the "queen" hit Mr. Potter's black shield and was blocked. In less than a second, he created three shields of unprecedented power, blocked a killing curse, and jumped in front of the self proclaimed queen. Where was he taught these magics? None of these spells or abilities are taught at Hogwarts. After his display, he suddenly became very subservient and even cowered before the woman. While he cowered, the queen's brute that had been hiding under an invisibility cloak killed all four attackers before they could be questioned by Aurors. _

_Why did they not want the attackers questioned? Where did Harry learn this unknown magic? How long has Harry been a member of the Hourglass organization? If they are a benevolent group, why did Harry cower and grovel? Is the Hourglass, like the spider it takes its name from, a cannibalistic sex cult practicing dark magic? Being fourth circle of thirteen, is Harry almost a master or a mere apprentice of the deadly arts?_


	3. Owls and Winds

Disclaimer; I wish I owned it all, sadly I own nothing. Oh well, maybe people will write nice things about me?

/_This means people are speaking mind-to-mind_/

* * *

After a brief time spent in the potions lab at Grimmauld place preparing the special candles needed for the gate opening ritual, and instruction on the ritual itself, the quartet left for Salisbury, to a certain stone circle.

"Sir, how are we going to get there? I've never been to Stonehenge so I can't apperate there." This was only partially true. Harry could apperate by coordinates, but he was really interested in how the other three got around. They kept mentioning the winds.

"About time you asked. Well Harry, remember what I taught you about speaking to others with your mind? How you send your mind looking for another person? Now I want to show you another use for that skill." Jaenelle said with a mischievous glint in her eye, "Follow my mind upwards, I want to show you something." She extended her hand for Harry.

/_Can you feel that web of power? Those are the winds. They are how magic flows through the world. You might call them ley lines. There are different webs for different levels of power, but we will be taking a dark one and shielding you against the effects. You cannot use a web darker than your own strength, but you can be a passenger if someone of appropriate rank shields you. To ride the winds you reach with your mind and grab hold of the web. You will then join the flow of magic as it moves into the world. If you want to get to an area where there is no wind nearby, you need to drop out of the wind and travel overland. You could also throw your mind from the winds and travel through the darkness to that place, what you call apparition.__Understand better now?_/

/_Much better, but I think I will need some help. I understood what you said, but I don't know how to do it._/

"Don't worry Harry, we're here to teach you remember. You'll be flying all over the place in no time."

"Speaking of flying, I still want to challenge you two to a race as soon as we get somewhere suitable."

Saetan suppressed a groan. The poor boy had no clue what he was getting into.

"Alright, Lucivar if you could take care of Harry's luggage, I will shield him while Jaenelle takes Hedwig. We will ride a grey wind?"

At the chorus of nods, Lucivar wandlessly vanished Harry's two trunks and then quickly disappeared without a sound.

Saetan wove a black shield around Harry then placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Alright just follow my mind and I will show you how to catch a wind."

The last four vanished together, riding a wind only they could feel.

* * *

Harry loved it, he always felt at home in the air, and no he was flying without a broom. It wasn't really a wind, more of a stream or river. He reveled in the tingle of magic flowing over him and through him as he flew through the crisp afternoon air. He caught glimpses of landscape beneath him, but he knew he wasn't really present in the real world right then. He was magic!

They only stayed on the grey wind for a few brief minutes before landing in a field not far from the iconic stones that personified magic in Britain. Lucivar brought out the candles, holder, and silver knife. They all shed a few drops of blood onto the ground, Jaenelle and Hedwig more than the others. The candles were lit in the proper order and words in the Old Tongue spoken before the gateway between the realms opened. Saetan paused to apply some time released spells to snuff the candles and close the gate, when suddenly Harry had an epiphany.

/_Hermione! I need a favor._/

/_Harry, what in the bloody blue blazes is going on? People are going crazy about what you pulled in Diagon Alley this morning! Where are you?_/

/_I am at Stonehenge right now, and that leads me into the favor I want. Could you apperate over here and do something for me?_/

/_What?_/

/_Well if you come over in five minutes there will be a bronze triangle shaped candlestick with four black candles in it. Come get it and keep it safe for me. Those are expensive and I will need it when I come back._/

/_Come back? Where are you going? And you still haven't told me how you do this!_/

/_Sorry Hermione, I need to go now, the portal is about to close!_/

Harry was the last to go through the gateway, and just got through before the candles sputtered out and the magical portal closed behind him

* * *

_**Harry Potter Gone Missing.**_

_**By Steve Hardy**_

_It has been a week since Harry Potter was last seen. While controversy and intrigue rage over his last public outing, the ministry is beginning to take notice. When aurors tried to contact Mr. Potter with some routine questions regarding that day, they discovered he was no where to be found. After going to the address on record with the ministry (something that has been sealed ever since October 31, 1981), his relatives claimed he and all his possessions disappeared the evening before the day in question. Questioning his friends and class mates lead investigators to discover this was a planned exodus and he took time to say goodbye before he left_

_While no one knows for certain where he went, there is some speculation. He was in the company of someone claiming to be Queen of Ebon Askavi. No one we contacted at the Department of International Magical Cooperation knew where Ebon Askavi was, and it certainly isn't on any maps. _

_We don't know where Mr. Potter has gone, but we are certain that there will be many questions to answer when he returns._

_**Minister Scrimegour Demands Hourglass Bodyguards.**_

_**By Steve Hardy**_

_Following the revelation last week that a shield to protect against the Killing Curse does indeed exist, Rufus Scrimegour has publicly demanded that the organization known as The Hourglass either teach the spell to Aurors or provide bodyguards for high ranking ministry workers. His calls have apparently fallen on deaf ears however as no one claiming to be a member has come forward. The search for Harry Potter and his Companions has likewise come up fruitless._

_

* * *

_

Stepping out of the gateway, Harry immediately fell to the ground in relief. It was as if a weight he had never known was present suddenly lifted and he was free. His thinking became clearer than ever before and he couldn't even feel his scar, let alone the constant tingle that he had lived with since the Tri-wizard tournament.

"Are you alright?"

"I am better than alright my Lady, I haven't ever felt this good. Voldemort is gone from my mind. I can't feel him or see the horrors he commits. For the first time in my life I am free and making choices on my own. You have no idea how good this feels."

"I do," Lucivar said in a voice haunted by years of pain, "My brother Daemon does too. We can help."

"I don't know why, but hearing your voice, I believe you. Now I understand why you said you would teach me for free. To feel how I feel now, anything is worth this. If I can help others feel the same way, I will. Some things are worth the risk."

"Exactly, and that is the price of our teaching. When you find your brothers in bondage, you must work to set them free."

"I will. I understand now." Harry said as he stood straighter and took a deep breath, "Ok, where to now?"

"We are at the Dark Altar next to SaDiablo Hall, in Kaleer. We just need to go out the doors and follow the path around to the front doors." Saetan supplied.

* * *

Walking out the front doors, Harry was shocked at the size of the building in front of him. The Hall was nearly as big as Hogwarts! Saetan raised his hand, his ring flashed, and the very stones of the Hall answered his call. Harry's eyes widened as he looked at the High Lord.

"Over fifty thousand years ago, the witches and warlords of Dhemlan came to me. I was the only Black Jeweled Warlord Prince in the history of the Blood. They asked me to protect them from a great evil. They begged me to watch over them and their children in the war that was coming. Of course I would do it, a Warlord Prince must protect his people, it is in our blood. But the people feared me. And I saw what no one could say. The public does not understand a living Hero. If he dies saving them, he will be remembered as great, but if he lives he becomes human and the people cannot tolerate that. They grow resentful and learn to hate the Hero. But, if the Hero demands a price, then he is no hero just a mercenary. At the end of a battle, the mercenary collects his fee and leaves. The people feel no sense of debt to the mercenary and so they can let him live in peace. A living hero they feel that they owe a debt they cannot repay, and they grow resentful.

"So when the people of Dhemlan came to me and begged for my help, I set a price worthy of the most powerful Warlord Prince ever born. In all three Realms, I was given the territory of Dhemlan to rule as my own and they built SaDiablo Hall as my home. It was a price that was never seen before or since, but in return I have watched over this land long enough to see entire civilizations rise and fall. I've seen races of men be born, grow old and vanish, but never in fifty millennia has evil held sway in Dhemlan."

"You are really that old sir?"

"I am a guardian. When it came time for me to die, I performed a special ritual so that I would live a half life and be able to watch over my people. Before you start to worry, part of the ritual requires the desire to protect. It is not an option available to most."

"Thank you sir, you have just given me much to think about."

"Yes, I see that I have. Come, I will introduce you to Mr. Beals our butler and he will see to setting up a room for you and taking care of your trunks. Dinner will be served promptly at six, proper dress is encouraged. Tomorrow morning at seven thirty Lucivar will want you in the courtyard for your training. You will then have time to shower before breakfast at nine. Lessons with myself until lunch. Dress for lunch and breakfast is informal. Insisting on dressing for dinner is the only way I get Jaenelle or her daughter to wear nice clothing at all. After lunch you will have lessons with Jaenelle, and have the rest of the afternoon and evening to yourself. Likewise the weekends are yours, except this one coming. Sunday we will perform your birthright ceremony and discover what jewels you will wear."

"Yes sir. Is it possible for me to use the Gate and Altar to visit friends?"

"Of course, we want to help you here, not cut you off from your friends and life. You are free to come and go as you please, but if you go home, please let someone know so we know when to expect you back. By the way, you mentioned that you will be reaching adulthood for your people soon?"

"Yes sir. My seventeenth birthday is six weeks away."

"At that time you will need to perform a ritual called the "Offering to the Darkness". It is a ritual that unlocks your full potential and strength. I know from what you have said that your people consider dark to mean evil. That is not the case here. We see the Darkness as primordial Chaos. It is the essence of power and Craft, or magic. To say someone has a darker jewel means they are stronger or more powerful. Don't be angry if someone calls you dark or part of the Dark Court while you are here. The Dark Court is the ultimate ruling body here in Kaleer. Jaenelle is the Queen and leader. Lucivar, Daemon, and I make up the first circle of males. There is another first circle of witches. Apparently Jaenelle has accepted you into the fourth circle. This is a very powerful position in our society. Basically defer to anyone in a higher circle or if we ask you to, but the rest of them should defer to you. Be polite and don't be quick to take insult and you will get along fine here."

"Thank you for explaining that sir. It has been confusing me since she said it."

* * *

When they entered SaDiablo Hall they were nearly bowled over by two flying forms, one with wings, and one without. A small girl with light brown hair and blue eyes seemed to enjoy taunting the bronze skinned teen. How the girl was staying up without wings was not evident, but Harry wanted to learn.

"Lucy! Why are you taunting your cousin, get down here this instant. You know we have rules about flying in the Hall. Daemonar, stop encouraging her!

"Harry, this is my daughter Lucy, and Daemonar is Lucivar's son."

Harry couldn't suppress a smirk, "So let me see if I have caught the family relations here. Daemon is your husband. He named his daughter Lucy. His brother, **Luci**var named his son Daemonar?"

"I never said they were creative. They're male they don't have to make sense. Lucy wears the Red jewels and Daemonar wears the Sapphire. Lucy is about to turn eleven and Daemonar is fifteen. Harry here has come to learn from the First Circle and I."

"It's nice to meet you both. This beautiful Owl here is Hedwig, she and I have been together since we were very young." Hedwig preened a bit at the introduction and praise, then nipped Harry's ear affectionately. "Well I am going to go settle into my rooms, but will see you at dinner I am sure. Actually Hedwig and I will probably go flying before dinner to get a look at the area, we would appreciate guides who knew the terrain if you are interested."

"Sure, Dae and I know all the cool places, we can show you."

"Thanks I appreciate it. How about we meet here in half an hour?"

"Sure."

* * *

Harry came back wearing his quidditch robes with his Firebolt over one shoulder Hedwig on the other.

"Why are you wearing funny clothes and carrying a stick?"

"Well Lucy, where I come from we have a sport that people play while flying. These robes are the robes of my team. I wear them when I am playing. The "stick" is a racing broom. I ride it to fly. Maybe later I can teach you to fly on a broom if you teach me how to fly without one."

"People have a game in the air?"

"Sure, it is an obsession for a lot of people. Last time I played, over a thousand people came to watch. There was a match I went to once, two of the best teams in the world were playing, over one hundred thousand people came to watch."

"Wow. That sounds cool."

"Oh it was. Lets get going before the sun sets okay?"

"Sure, Dae is busy with Uncle Lucivar so he won't be coming."

At first they flew slowly and just enjoyed the sights Hedwig easily keeping pace with the other two. They took a tour of the village by air and Lucy pointed out the important parts of the Hall. Noticing the afternoon had slipped away Harry proposed a race back to the front doors.

Lucy was put out to come in last. And Harry was a little less than pleased too. Hedwig just looked smug, the big cheater. As Harry tore off on the Firebolt, and Lucy took up chase, Hedwig pouted for a moment before having her idea. Grabbing the darkest wind she could, she was almost instantly at the landing web just down the drive from the door.

"We should have known better than to have a flying contest with an owl! She was born for flying." Harry finally cracked a smile, "I've always considered her the smartest owl I know, this just proves it."

* * *

Dinner that night was something else entirely. Once again wearing his best dress robes, he asked a guard to point him towards the dining room and was quickly set straight. There were a lot of people he didn't know, and introductions were made he was sure he wouldn't remember later. There were two that made a particular impression on him however.

When he saw Daemon Sadi enter the room, there was no doubt in his mind who he was. He looked like Saetan, but forty years younger. There was something about him though, the way he moved, the way he spoke, the look in his eyes… Simply put, he was the only man that ever made Harry consider playing for the other team. The man exuded a seductive and alluring presence. His name was just confirmation of what he already knew.

Harry was able to enjoy his meal and field questions about himself and Hedwig for quite a while before his next surprise. As the desert course was being served his hand brushed against the witch across from him. Her head shot up and her eyes snapped into focus.

"Wait, I thought you were a white owl!"

"I am. Hedwig and I are both owls." Harry said after a brief thought that this witch was a lot like Luna, "I am pure white mostly, but have a big black lightning bolt on my back and green eyes. You didn't think Hedwig kept me around just for my ability to lift heavy objects did you?"

"Great, now they're both in the Twisted Kingdom!" Aaron snorted.

"Shush! I want to hear how this works out." Jaenelle looked interested. Perhaps this was the breakthrough Harry and she both wanted.

"But you look so human," Tersa was looking confused now.

"I am human too. I am always human, unless I am an owl. I am always an owl, except when I am a man."

The glazed look returned as her eyes lost focus. "Maybe you should have Lucy teach you to fly. When you find your wings again you might find the rest of you too."

"I will thank you. Maybe someday I will show you my wings, but I cant right now."

"Yes, you have to find them first."

Tersa went back to her meal, very interested in the cobbler in front of her.

"That was probably the most insightful conversation I've had since my professor died two weeks ago. Is she always like this?"

"My mother looks at the world differently." Daemon looked impressed that someone new could deal with Tersa as she spoke from the Twisted Kingdom.

"A good friend of mine is a lot like her. She says the most interesting things, some people think she is insane and say hurtful things but I know that there is truth hidden behind the riddles."

"Indeed," was Saetan's only reply. Meanwhile several of the witches around the table looked at each other, had a silent conference and nodded slightly to each other, evidently having reached a decision.

"Harry, may I speak with you privately in my father's office when we are done here?"

"Of course sir, I could go with you now if you wish."

"No, please finish the cobbler, Mrs. Beale would be upset if she thought we weren't appreciative of her cooking, and call me Daemon, or Sadi whichever you prefer."

* * *

"What is it you wanted to talk with me about Daemon?"

"My brother tells me you and I are a lot alike, but he won't tell me how. After seeing how you spoke with and about my mother tonight, I admit to being curious. Would you tell me about your life? Please, don't skip the parts that are painful, I understand those better than anyone and they are important to what I am thinking about."

"Given how Lucivar reacted to something I said earlier, I think I know why you can understand. It's a long story, but stay with me."

In the next hour he told Daemon about life growing up at the Dursley's, about being a slave to his relatives, living in a cupboard, being beaten for speaking, being starved and imprisoned for being what he was. He told him things he never even told Ron or Hermione, because something in Daemon's eyes showed that he understood and knew how it felt. Daemon never flinched as he told him about life at Hogwarts and how people were either jealous of the fame he didn't want or hated him. He talked about being an orphan, never knowing his father, about his Godfather being on the run, then dying before he could be freed to take care of Harry. He talked about the press and government trying to convince everyone he was crazy. He mentioned the witches who wanted to be with him because of his fame, never caring who _he_ was inside. Finally he talked about Voldemort. He told Daemon about the pain of the cruciartus curse, the pain of visions. He told about being a witness to the deaths of innocents, and the rebirth of a man who wanted to rule the world. And he told Daemon about the prophecy that said he had to be the one to end it all.

"We are very much alike after all. Thank you for talking to me, I know that had to be hard. Allow me to tell you my own story."

Daemon told Harry about his life. He spoke about having a Ring of Obedience put around his genitals when he was three years old, the constant pain he lived with every day for centuries. He spoke about the life of a pleasure slave, and knowing that his brother's life depended on his doing whatever he was told. Centuries of life trapped by a small circle of metal. Growing up in Hyall's courts, the intricate dance of status and strength. Abuse, deprivation, and the unending desire to just have one woman who he could love. These were the themes of his life. He killed, he tortured, and he destroyed entire cities as punishment. He fought with every fiber of his being against the twisted perversions of his world. And he spoke of meeting Jaenelle and the years he spent insane and wrapped up in self blame and misplaced guilt.

"We are men forged of pain and suffering. We know what it is like to be worthless and looked down upon. And because we believe no one should ever have to go through it, we fight. Deep in your soul you know what life would be like if this Voldemort won, and you cannot allow that to happen. You won't allow anyone else to grow up in pain and as a slave. I see what they were talking about. You need our help, and you can count me in. Given my past, there are things I can teach you that no one else can.

"Furthermore, there is a great stigma in this world against children without fathers or parents. My brother and I grew up treated as bastards because the world refused to accept our father. You will not. As Jaenelle is the daughter of Saetan's soul, you are the son of mine. When you go for your birthright ceremony, I will stand with you so the world knows that the SaDiablo Family supports you. No one argues with the SaDiablo Family. Now I just need to think of how to explain this to Jaenelle."

"Thank you Daemon, I feel a lot better having talked to you. I appreciate what you are doing for me. I promise to try my best not to embarrass myself if you are going to stand by me."

"Come on, I think I need some of Jaenelle's homebrew. Would you join me for a drink?"

* * *

The next morning his head was pounding as Lucivar dumped a bucket of water over him.

"I should have known I would find the two of you together! Get up boyo, you're late for practice."

Daemon said something that while pithy was anatomically impossible while Harry just wished he had his wand so he could curse whoever thought of there being two seven o'clock's in the same day. Especially if one of them was going to be so early. The two hung over men stumbled into boots and pants before following after Lucivar. They weren't sure who he was ordering around, but they knew it would require too much thinking to find out.

Lucivar worked them until they puked (which given their state wasn't all that much) before splashing them with another bucket of water and working them some more. He drilled them with stick and knives. Even in his less than optimal state, Harry picked up some of the moves, and was confident he could do better if he wasn't sick as a dog.

Eventually Lucivar let them go and there was only one thing on Harry's mind.

"Daemon, go get a bottle of whatever that was that tasted like sunshine and springtime and meet me in my room. I can cure us."

Daemon looked at him funny, but left to get what he needed. Harry returned to his room and dug out his potions kit. Thankful that his much graffiti-ed copy of Advanced Potions had a hangover potion that actually worked. He had everything he needed in his potions kit, but also needed a few drops of whatever he had drank to get into this state.

Harry was just putting the cauldron over the flames from his wand when Daemon came back into the room.

"Okay, put three drops for each of us into that as soon as it boils, then stir for ten minutes, I need a shower before I will feel human again. "

Harry quickly showered and was just toweling off when it was time to remove the potion from the fire. He poured it into two glasses and cast a quick cooling charm over them.

"This will probably taste horrid, but its better than suffering all day. Drink up."

They both grimaced at the awful taste then smiled as the headaches and nausea disappeared.

"Jaenelle will want to see that book, but first let's have some breakfast. Now that I am not about to die, I am starving for some food."

* * *

When they walked into breakfast clean and smiling, jaws dropped.

"How can you possibly be alive after all that drink? Saetan said he found four empty bottles of Jaenelle's mix in his office. After what Lucivar was telling us of your morning exercise we weren't expecting to see you at all for breakfast!"

"Five," Daemon said as he tossed the now empty bottle he used to make the potion, "but Harry here made some brew to fight the Gravediggers and we feel fine."

"That was nothing special. I am just glad I didn't screw it up. If you make that one wrong, the symptoms get even worse," Harry gave a shudder.

"You are a god!" Khardeen whispered, "Which of you passed out first?"

"He did!" both pointed fingers and spoke simultaneously, "No I didn't!"

The room broke in laughter


	4. Learning to walk and Teaching to fly

Disclaimer; If I owned the rights to this would I be letting everyone in the world read it free? I mean, of course I would let you, my friends read for free, but the rest of those bums…

/_This means people are talking to each other in their heads._/

* * *

"Like it or not, you have status. You have fame. You are a rich man. You have responsibilities to society to not abuse these things. I will teach you how to live well. How to live a life of respect and influence. You will learn to be a cultured individual. When your battles are done, what I teach you will make life manageable." Saetan was pacing his office. Since he had no Jewels yet (he had laughingly been told that no, those weren't the right kind of jewels at breakfast when he brought out his horde), they had agreed to stick to subjects which didn't require Craft for the first week.

"We will begin by teaching you how to walk! When you walk, your posture, body language and demeanor screams out that you are a mere servant. This is unacceptable. You are a Warlord Prince, and you will wear a dark jewel, mark my words. That and your position in the Lady's Court requires that you learn to walk appropriately.

"When you walk, make your back rigid, your strides long and firm, and your face a mask of being incredibly busy. This will project your dominance and importance. You must be careful however that you do not appear a pompous overblown buffoon. Watch closely." Saetan demonstrated a basic self important walk several times before having Harry try. Harry did not seem to be able to pick it up as easily as he should have. Years of mental abuse had wreaked havoc on his self esteem.

Seeing that the subtleties between a swagger, a parade, and a strut would be lost on the boy before he recovered more confidence, Saetan moved on to an area where Harry had no trouble at all; entertaining and playing host to guests. He instructed Harry in how to mix yarbarah properly, how to properly heat it and serve it. He was just getting into how to deal with high profile guests when it became time for lunch.

"Sir, before we go down to lunch, something Daemon said to me last night confused me. I was hoping you could explain it since he said something similar about you."

"I will certainly do my best to explain, you are still new here and there is much to learn."

"He said I was the son of his soul, and offered to stand at my birthright ceremony so people wouldn't look down on me for not having family. He said you said the same about Jaenelle."

"Oh, I was not aware things had progressed like that. Basically when he offered to stand with you at your ceremony it was an offer of adoption. He is welcoming you into our family as his son. The part about being the son of his soul means he feels that the two of you are extremely similar. I assume he talked to you about his past?"

"Yes sir, and I told him about my life. I admit that we have both dealt with a lot of hardship."

"And it is because of that hardship that he feels he can trust you and respects you. Welcome to the family."

* * *

Daemon surprisingly showed up in his lessons with Jaenelle. They were working in one of Jaenelle's laboratories, which cause both envy and fear among some of the court. Envy in those that had never been privy to just how Jaenelle did certain things, fear in those that had. They knew that Jaenelle, for all she was a powerful witch, made mistakes, and being powerful, her mistakes were often exciting.

They traded potion recipes and basic healing techniques like using craft to seal a cut. Harry was determined to learn the recipes to whatever it was he and Sadi almost killed themselves with, but Jaenelle just smiled and refused. After a small explosion left them covered in purple dust and distinctly lavender scented, Daemon decided to take charge. He shoo-ed his wife out saying it was time for male bonding. Her opinion on that idea implied that she thought her supplies of liquor showed them sufficiently bonded already.

"If you are interested Harry, I would like to give you lessons too. Our lessons will be a bit different though."

"What would you be teaching me sir? Your family is already teaching me to fight, heal, business, and social skills."

"Well, let's think about that shall we? I was the most famous pleasure slave in the history of the Blood. I was also a virgin until after I met Jaenelle. Is there anything I might have learned in over 1,700 years of pleasing witches that a teen aged warlord prince might want to learn?"

Seeing Harry go red like a tomato, Daemon had to chuckle.

"Don't worry, we'll start with something that is both very simple, and yet skirts the boundries of the taboo. I assume, as a young man who is almost an adult, that you are aware of what happens to witches once a month? Well once we get your senses trained to work with your craft, it will be blindingly obvious when a witch near you is undergoing that cycle.

"I am rather famous for being cruel or sadistic. This is not always true, I am just extremely picky who I show favor too. The brew I am about to show you is one I invented for certain witches. It is one no one else knows, I would prefer to keep it that way by the way, and one that works far better than most."

Daemon began showing him all the proper proportions for his secret moon time brew. Harry, not being a shabby potions student if given room to work, picked up the simple mix easily. They prepared several tea bags so he would always have some on hand if he found a worthy witch in need.

"If however the witch is a black widow, or in the Twisted kingdom, you will need to add just enough powdered belladonna to coat the back of your fingernail. Black widows and those seeing visions, need traces of poisons to help their mind cope with the visions. Don't put too much, it is poison after all, but that trace will help keep them sane. The friend you mentioned was like my mother, it is likely she would need that blend."

"Come see me after dinner and we can get started on the other lessons if you wish."

* * *

"First, we will teach you how to walk," Daemon began later that evening.

"But your father is already teaching me that. I'm not very good."

"No, my father is teaching you to act like a statesman or nobleman. I am teaching you to seduce a beautiful woman. That we both chose to start with how to walk is a coincidence. In fact, am willing to bet that if you show up sober tomorrow morning Lucivar will start with how to move in a fight. All three are interrelated. All three require confidence that you can perform well. Once you have mastered all three ways of moving and body language, you will almost be able to hold a conversation without words.

"When you have learned to move as a nobleman, a seducing male, and a warrior, they will blend into something uniquely you. And that is a truly powerful thing, it will warn the males that you are too important and powerful, and it will let the females know that you are able to protect them and please them. And that is just the beginning.

"If you want to seduce a woman, it starts from the moment she sees you, not the moment you decide to open your mouth. The way you dress, the way you walk, the look in your eye and the smile on your face."

"I see. But what if I only want one woman?"

"Good, you're learning. The trick is to make every woman in the room desire you. Let them make fools of themselves, make them beg. But that one woman of your heart, when she comes to you, you give her what you don't give anyone else. Talk to her, pay attention to her, caress her, and dance with her. I can captivate an entire castle full of women, make them want me, lust after me, but when I only pay attention to Jaenelle, it makes them jealous and her feel even more beautiful. After all, I could choose any woman in the world, but I chose her. When you can make a witch feel that way, she is yours.

"But you must never abuse what I teach you. If you do, I promise that you will regret it until the day you die, which might not be too far off. I am not teaching you my skills so you may have a list a mile long of women who have visited your bed. I spent enough years as a whore to know there is no happiness there. I am teaching you so that when you find the right witch, you can please her like no man has ever pleased a woman. Now back to the lesson."

They practiced walking and body language, Harry began slowly building confidence and skill, though he was far from a master. Daemon eventually called a halt after a little while of practice, but decided to give a bit of home work. Calling in two thick books from the library Daemon set them in front of Harry.

"These books are manuals that healers study to get an idea of what makes people work inside. They use them so that they can heal. You and I will study them for a different purpose. We will meet again next week. When we do I want you to be able to tell me from memory where on the body the largest concentrations of nerves are found. I want you to tell me for males and females how to stimulate them for pleasure or for pain. From the simplest caress to stabbing them with a knife, I want you to learn what makes something feel good and what makes it feel bad. How to cause the most painful experience and how to make them melt in pleasure. Once you understand both, and for both sexes, we can move on to more advanced techniques."

"Why do I need to understand pain too? And why do I need to learn about men if you are teaching me about women?"

"There are many reasons. Sometimes pleasure feels better when mixed with pain. A woman who digs her fingernails into her lovers back for instance, or when a man nibbles on his witch's throat. When you learn about what causes pleasure and pain, you can learn how to mix them in just the right proportions. And you are to learn about men as well as women because I am not just going to teach you to please a woman. I will teach you at least the basics of all of my skills. I will be teaching you other skills that are more important if you are to be a male of the SaDiablo family, some that only I have a reputation for using. There is a very good reason the people of Terriele fear my name."

* * *

The rest of the week was pretty quiet, no crises or explosions. His assorted tutors gave him the theory behind what they called "basic craft" but he called amazing. He saw them pass their arms through solid wood tables, levitate and twirl objects, summon balls of fire, and hold objects in a pocket of reality only they could access. He saw Jaenelle and Lucy walk on air and water, and have snowball fights in mid summer. For every thing he saw that he had previously thought impossible however he found another that seemed to make him think his world had it right. While these people seemed to be masters of charms and battle magic, they could only perform the most basic of transfiguration or potions.

His own healing skills, learned the hard way through years of being Madam Pomfrey's favorite guest were at least as good as what Jaenelle was trying to teach him. His potions and salves were perhaps more effective than her own, though he could not use a healing web like she did and so could not perform more than basic first aid.

His work with Lucivar went well, and he was beginning to show promise. His years of quidditch experience gave him superior reflexes and the ability to dodge most blows, but blocking or attacking on his own still needed a lot of work. His practice with a bow and arrow left much to be desired. One would think that years of aiming a wand and shooting spells would prepare you for something like that, but he had to learn to aim all over again because arrows didn't fly straight. They fell and sometimes curved to one side or another. He had never had to adjust for range or wind before and found it challenging but fun. He already had some interesting ideas for when he could use Jewels like the others.

* * *

Saturday morning found Harry sitting with his back to a tree using charcoals and a quill to draw. Hedwig made comments from time to time, but mostly just slept against his side. She had had lessons of her own with various kindred and apparently had the equivalent of a birthright ceremony of her own for she now wore a pretty opal jewel on a band of silver around her neck. Harry and Hedwig decided that the next weekend they would go visit their friends for at least a few hours.

Lucy walked up, "Hello Harry, Hedwig, what are you working on?"

"Oh, well I am drawing myself as an owl, and Hedwig here is helping me. She lets me know when I draw feathers the wrong length or the wrong types in the wrong places. I've drawn myself like this hundreds of times, and still need to do a bunch more before I can transform properly. A few more weeks and I might be ready to try."

"Why do you need to draw to become an owl?"

"It's part of the process. I need to be intimately aware of every single part, every last feather of my form. Drawing this way teaches the wizard, err… warlord, to visualize each minute detail. Once I have a perfect image in my mind there is a charm I will use to make my body more flexible. When my body is flexible and my mind is ready I begin imagining each miniscule transfiguration of my body, turning one part into another. The first step, which I have already done, is to use a special potion to put a person into a trance and give them a vision where they see themselves approached by an animal totem. This totem then melds with the seeker, and a new form is presented before them.

"Because it takes three separate branches of magic or craft, and many hours of preparation, most people never attempt it."

"Why are the feathers on your head all messed up?"

"Well surely you noticed my hair is messy all the time. I can't help it. Not even magic can make it sit straight. So when I am an owl, my feathers don't sit right either."

"Oh! Most of us just thought you were lazy and didn't brush it."

Harry let out a bellowing laugh, Hedwig woke up and gave an annoyed hoot before biting his hand.

"Sorry to wake you up Hedwig, no, my hair has stayed exactly this long and exactly this messy my entire life. My relatives who I don't like tried to cut my hair a lot when I was young, but the next morning it was always back exactly how it was."

"Maybe you should tell the rest of the family that. They didn't think anything of it after you and father got drunk, but the past couple of days have made them start to wonder about you."

"I'll tell them at dinner then."

"Ok, could you teach me how to fly on one of those brooms you use? You said you would. Pretty please?"

"Alright you little rascal, I'll teach you. Here, you hold onto my sketch book and I will get us some brooms. It just so happens I bought an extra before I left because I didn't know about how you fly and was going to teach your mother."

"Ok, run up to your room and get them!" She squealed as she vanished the sketch book into the space she held with craft.

"I don't need to leave, that is what magic is for, _ACCIO FIREBOLTS!_" His own Firebolt and the new one still in its wrappings flew out of the window of his room and came to rest before him on the grass.

* * *

"Alright, the first thing you need to do is hold your hand out over the broom, palm open, and say in a firm voice 'Up'. You need to say it with conviction and belief. The broom will come into your hand if you believe it will. Like this… 'UP!'" The Firebolt on the ground next to him leapt into his hand with great speed and enthusiasm.

"Up!" Lucy's broom rose into her hand slower, but steadily. "I did it!"

"Good job, I knew you would get it first try. You belong up in the air and this broom is just another tool to get you up there. Now, put one leg over the broomstick and let your bottom sit just where the tail of the broom starts. Keep both feet on the ground for now."

"Hey, it's cushioned! I thought sitting on the wood would be hard."

"Yes, the cushioning charm keeps it comfortable. Now, when you lift your feet off the ground, you will be hovering. If you sit still the broom won't move. If you lean backwards the front of the broom will rise into the air as if you pulled up on the stick, if you lean forward it will tilt downward. Leaning left or right will cause it to drift. Lets focus right now on just drifting left or right. Don't think about flying forward or back yet, let's just drift from side to side."

After a few rocky starts where Lucy either tilted the broom and fell off or leaned so far she hung upside down, she eventually mastered drifting.

"Ok, now we move on to turning. Grab the broomstick in both hands and turn it while drifting. You should be able to move in a circle around me without facing away from me. Think of it as strafing a target if you move while shooting a bow."

She learned to circle him in both directions, going slowly at first, then gaining confidence.

"Lastly, how to go forward! To move forward, simply let your magic flow into the broom and will it to go forward. It helps a lot of people to think of it as "pushing" off the ground or some imaginary wall, at least at first. How hard you push determines how fast you go. To stop, push forward or just will yourself to stop. These brooms have pretty advanced stopping charms and if you aren't braced for it stopping suddenly can throw you off the broom.

"I'll go slow at first and you try to follow along beside me okay? Let me know if you need help."

As Lucy got the hang of riding a broom, she and Harry grew to really like each other. The afternoon was spent lazily circling the Hall and discussing the differences between the two worlds. Harry decided he really like teaching and thought maybe he ought to get more involved with the first years this coming term. They returned just barely in time for dinner and walked into the hall a few moments late after stopping to change.

There was great amusement over "Harry's hairy problem" as Lucy put it.


	5. Claiming his Birthright

Disclaimer; JKR owns HP, AB owns Blood, I own 0. I just wish I did.

/_This means people are having a psychic conversation_/

* * *

Sunday morning came earlier than usual. Most of the household and Court got up early to accompany Harry and the others to his Birthright Ceremony. Harry was surprised that so many wanted to come with him, but from what he gathered of the local culture, such a ceremony was an important rite of passage and they were being polite to show their support.

Harry had asked Saetan where the ceremony would take place and was only told "The Keep" as if those two words explained everything. Apparently they did to everyone else. The extended family and kindred who wished to come left the Hall before dawn to board a coach that would travel the winds to the Keep.

Harry concentrated on remembering the preparations that Saetan had told him.

"When the time comes for you to gain your Jewels, you must descend into the abyss of your mind as deep as you can. You will feel the darkness pushing in from all sides and the power flowing through your veins. When you discover you can go no further without risking your sanity, stop and let the power flow into you. From there you will spin a web that represents your inner self. Let the power around you flow into the web through your blood. How deep in the abyss of your mind you go determines your power, think of it as a well full of water. The deeper wells have more water to draw from. Your web will hold back the darkness so you can gather strength without being overwhelmed. When you come back from the abyss the Jewels you will wear the rest of your life will be on the altar in front of you, symbolic of your inner power."

* * *

As the coach rolled to a stop, Harry broke from his reverie and took stock of his surroundings. They were on a wide ledge, about halfway up the largest mountain Harry had ever seen, snow swirled around them as almost everyone hurried into a doorway cut from the rock behind him. Looking up, he saw a truly awe inspiring sight as Ebon Askavi rose in front of him. The black mountain, the largest in the Realms and the center of the winds, could take the breath from the most hardened of hearts.

Harry was still feeling a little light headed as he entered the door, but immediately started breathing easier. He hadn't realized they were high enough that the air was so thin, but he felt better now that the spells around the Keep allowed him to breath.

Draca watched the new young man from afar. He certainly attracted powerful friends and protectors, and yet seemed to be unaffected by the sheer importance and power of the people he surrounded himself with. Did he really not know who he had befriended? Or did he know, but saw them as the people they were and not the positions they held? His interactions with Saetan and Daemon alone had her intrigued. She sniffed the air, trying to catch his psychic scent. You could tell he was a Warlord Prince from a mile off, and he scented to be powerful, but there was something else, something familiar from long ago. She would have to weave a tangled web of visions about this young man, discover why he was so important.

The Court and family assembled in a chamber deep in the heart of the Keep.

"We come to recognize Harry James Potter as one of the Blood, as a member of our society, and initiate him into his heritage as a Warlord Prince." Jaenelle was no longer the same bright caring person she had been, she was a Queen and a Priestess, her blue eyes turned to the Sapphire pools those who knew her knew to respect. "Who stands here as his mother; bringing him into the world and breathing life into his body?"

/_I stand as his nest mother. I have watched him grow and stood by him. The mother of his blood died when he was still a fledgling and I have watched over him since we met._/ Hedwig surprised Harry by speaking so formally. He didn't even know that she had planned to do this.

"Who stands here as his father, teaching him what it means to be Blood and Warlord Prince?"

"I stand in place of his father. His father died in his defense, but I will teach him to respect our ways." Daemon had an odd look in his eyes, almost one of pride.

"And you, do you swear to use your strength and your Jewels to protect and defend the Blood and our ways?"

"By my life, my blood, my magic, and my love, I will always protect and defend those in need whether they be Blood or not, whether human or kindred." Harry was told he had to answer this question on his own, there was no formal response. He was surprised to see the bright flash of magic appear and swirl over his heart. He had sworn a Wizard's Oath. He knew the consequences to his actions, but wasn't worried. He had known for several years now he wanted to protect others in life, and now it was merely official.

Saetan looked shocked at the burst of magic, and some others appeared interested as well, but they all knew that they could not interrupt the sacred ceremony from time immemorial.

"Prepare yourself for the journey into the Darkness."

After a few moments, "I am ready my Lady."

Jaenelle handed Harry the goblet of potion to induce his vision.

* * *

Harry was alone in the dark. He was floating with no point of reference except somehow the void seemed denser near his feet than near his head.

Remembering what Saetan said, he descended into the deep. He felt the power and darkness pressing on his mind and body threatening to overpower him, but he was stronger. He thought of everything he knew about occlumency, about clearing his mind and protecting it from outside influence. He hated to admit he was a bit of a failure in the discipline, but every little bit helped him stay calm right now.

After a half hour or so, it was hard to tell in this nowhere, he was really struggling to keep his mind and not go crazy. The overwhelming nothingness of this place was hard to deal with. His hands ached for sensation, his ears for even the sound of a breath, and oh how he wished there was something to see.

'Come on Harry, you've faced mountain trolls, giant chessboards, a basilisk the size of a semi, and that psychotic madman several times now. A little sensory deprivation will not break you. You are stronger than this. You can win. Now a little farther and we can weave the web. Do this for everyone back home counting on you.' Harry tried to keep his focus.

Eventually he was just unable to take anymore pressure on his mind. He settled down to weave. At first his web was very erratic, with no particular pattern, but then he had an epiphany about how to make his web strong. In addition to anchor threads and radial lines of any spider's web, he stretched his willpower to the absolute limits, placing anchors slightly deeper into the abyss, and solidifying them to be stronger than average. He put more of these improved anchor lines on the weaker side of the abyss, cementing it not only against the walls horizontally, but vertically as well. He didn't want this web to go anywhere. He looked over the web as a whole and saw something he had not intended to put there. Two triangles, one inside the other and inside the smaller triangle there was a symbol he recognized. In the center of his web, his source of power and self, was a lightning bolt.

He lay exhausted against his web, pleased to find it able to support him. Now that the darkness could no longer pour into his mind and overwhelm him, he opened himself to the darkness and let the power sing through his blood and mind. He lost consciousness for a short while.

* * *

Harry woke deep in the abyss, feeling alive and full of power. He remembered where he was, and that everyone was waiting for him up above. He allowed himself to slowly ascend. Saetan had warned him against rushing to leave the abyss, such a burst of power could harm anyone outside who wasn't expecting it.

He opened his eyes and stood. Cheers came from around him and people began celebrating. Jaenelle stood before him, a ceremonial dagger stained from thousands of years worth of blood in her hands.

"Come forward Harry James Potter-SaDiablo, Red Jeweled Warlord Prince, let your blood join that of those that came before you. Bond with your Jewels and remember this day the rest of your life."

Jaenelle cut his hand and let his blood flow into a small silver chalice on the altar, then let five drops fall onto the red stone that had appeared on the altar. He felt the stone with his mind, a source of power and a storehouse he could use to store his power.

Jaenelle's face softened back into her usual self. "The ceremony is over, now we can celebrate. An uncut Jewel is a very rare thing, you should feel honored. And to have birthright Red is very rare too. It's a sign of your power. Be proud what you achieved."

"Thank you."

An informal party started up, everyone feasting and talking with each other regardless of rank or Jewels. Saetan and Daemon were drinking brandy from large snifters while talking to an ancient looking man with a glass of yarbarah. Jaenelle and a group of witches were in one corner showing off their new magic tricks they had learned. He recognized most of her first circle among those with her. Lucy and Daemonar came up to him with glasses of wine looking excited.

"I guess this means welcome to the family then. Good job on getting the Red. I will look forward to seeing what you do in the future cousin." Daemonar seemed to soften his demeanor some as he extended his hand to Harry.

"Yay! Now I've got a big brother. I always wanted a brother, but all I had was this jerk!" Lucy punched Daemonar in the arm. He gave her an offended look. "And we've even got the same Jewel Dad did when he was young. I wonder if we'll ever be like him and my mother."

"I don't know about that. I have something I need to accomplish in my life, but it doesn't sound like it's on the same level as what your parents did. There's an evil warlord in my home territory who wants to rule. He is a vicious bastard and enjoys torture and murder. As soon as I can, I will find him and end the threat he represents to my people."

"Wow that sounds a lot like what my parents did. Ok, maybe their evil witch was trying to take over the whole realm not just a territory but you're still fighting evil."

"Yes, it is still a fight against evil, and that's why your parents are teaching me. This man killed my parents, my friends, and teachers, and thousands of innocents. I will not let him win."

"It is good to hear some enthusiasm for your task" a sibilant voice said from the doorway. The whole room dropped silent as the woman continued. "Harry Potter-SaDiablo, heir to the griffons it is good to meet you. I am Draca."

Harry examined the woman as she approached. She was very elegant, and quite beautiful in her own way. Her skin looked to be covered in scaled, but they appeared smooth and soft. Her psychic scent portrayed a feeling of extreme age and power.

"I am glad to meet you Draca, may I get you something to drink? I have never been called 'heir to the griffons' before, where did you hear that? Will you join our celebration?"

"I will take a glass of yarbarah if you wish. I wove a tangled web about you. It showed me thunder's child the heir to griffons in a great war with the one death did not hold the heir to snakes."

"Really," Harry was intrigued as he poured a glass of the yarbarah he had prepared specially for Saetan with his own blood and dragons blood mixed. Saetan had yet to avail himself. A whispered warming charm and a wave of his wand made it ready for Draca. "That is quite interesting. The man who calls himself Voldemort was the last heir to a man famous for speaking to snakes. He and I are the subjects of a prophecy made before my birth. He and I must one day meet and fight to determine the future of our world. I suppose with the shape of my scar I could be called thunder's child. I will have to look into the griffons though."

Draca took a sip of her yarbarah and looked pleased, "This is quite good. The visions of a tangled web are often hard to interpret. I will be weaving another now that I have spoken to you."

"I can't say I have grown used to the taste of yarbarah yet, but I will take your word for it. The blood is from two sources. One is my own blood, taken last night. The other blood is from a dragon mother I know. She and I share a connection of a sort. I bested her in a tournament a few years ago, so our blood works well together at least by the rules of magic I was taught."

The whole room had gone silent again at the mention of having blood from a dragon.

"You are full of surprises. Speaking of surprises, when you had your birthright ceremony earlier, something happened I didn't expect. Can you tell me about the craft you used when asked to commit yourself to the Blood?"

"That was something my people call a Wizard's Oath. It is a contract between me and the essence of magic or craft. I swore to protect the innocent. If I ever harm an innocent or let one come to harm when I could have prevented it, several things will result. Because of the way I said it; with my life, blood, magic, and love there are four layers of consequences. Within twenty four hours of my betrayal, everyone I love will turn their back on me and forsake me, and then my magic and craft will desert me leaving me powerless. My blood will begin seeping out of every orifice in my body and I will finally die, painfully. It is considered the ultimate level of dedication to make a Wizard's Oath for something. They all swear on at least their magic, and usually their life too."

There were gasps around the room as this sank in, and then a sound no one expected, a slow clap. Daemon walked from where his father and Geoffrey had been talking.

"And this is why I stood for you today. You would take the horrors of the world onto yourself rather than see an innocent suffer. You swore with everything in you to never allow it to happen, and that is why you will win. This is my son, and I am proud."

"There is much to be proud of; I look forward to your Offering young Prince. Please, let us forget such heavy subjects for now and return to celebrating a rare accomplishment." Draca raised her glass, "To Thunder's Child, may his strength never fail him or those he protects."

"To Harry!" thundered the response.

* * *

Saetan smiled at his young pupil later, "I must commend you. Most people find Draca unnerving. You just accepted her and asked her to join your party. And you impressed everyone when you told about your Oath. We never developed the craft to form those kind of bonds. If we had, we could just ask everyone to make such an oath and live in a safer society."

"They don't work that way unfortunately. An Oath must be given willingly or it will not work. You must strongly believe in what you swear and intend to follow through with the terms of the Oath. You could not force a prisoner to take an Oath to never commit another crime and let him leave."

"More the pity then. Still, I can't help but think you made a serious impression on those present today. Between your oath, Daemon claiming you as kin, and Draca's approval, you have definitely carved out your spot in the pecking order around here. You're probably equal to anyone in the court really."

"Why is that? I'm not anything special."

"You must understand, Draca is the oldest of the Blood. I have been alive for more than fifty thousand years. Geoffrey the librarian forgot how old he was long before I was born. We are both mere babes next to Draca. When she toasted you, she marked you as someone worthy of respect. When the eldest and most powerful show respect, everyone else can't help but follow. Your humility though does you both harm and good. It is good to stay humble and accept guidance, but you must also have confidence in your strength and status."

"I will try to keep that in mind."

"There is one other thing I need to talk with you about. You are the mellowest and friendliest Warlord Prince I have ever heard of. It is normal to get angry. It is normal to feel violent. It is part of what you are and you must learn to accept it. If you keep repressing it too long it will drive you insane and you will be worthless to everyone. Have you ever rode the killing edge and felt the anger and hatred inside?"

"Yes, twice."

"What happened and how did you deal with it?"

"The first time was a little over a year ago. I was in the middle of a battle and watched an evil witch kill the closest thing I had to a father and then laugh about it. I was absolutely murderous and lost control of myself. There are only three curses in my world that are considered Unforgivable. If you use one against another human being, it will be your last day as a free person. If they do not kill you for it, they will at the very least lock you in a prison for the rest of your life. That day was the first time I cast an Unforgivable curse. Right then, I would have thrown my life away to see her suffer first. After the fight I still had not calmed down. I was locked in a small room where I proceeded to destroy everything until I collapsed from exhaustion.

"The second time was not even a month ago. One of the teachers at my school was a spy for Voldemort. He killed the leader of our side, who I respected almost like a grandfather. Again, there was a battle and it was vicious. I couldn't stop myself and I wasn't skilled enough to kill him, so I tried to use an Unforgivable curse again. These curses require hatred and power. I had both and my anger was so powerful I didn't care that it would be my life if I were ever caught.

"If I could have, I would have killed both of them. I am not certain I would have stopped with just them. At the time, everyone who threatened my friends needed to die. Anyone who hurt an innocent was fair game, no one was safe and no one was a noncombatant. I could have killed everyone who stood against me and I wouldn't have cared. That feeling makes me sick. I despise violence and want nothing more than to live a peaceful life. Knowing I have that inside me makes me very uncomfortable."

"Good. It should make you uncomfortable. Killing should never be easy. It should leave a scar on your very soul. That you feel this way only proves you are a good person. Hate killing, despise killing, and never kill if you can avoid it. But if it ever comes down to killing an enemy or watching an innocent come to harm, kill the bastard and live with the guilt and revulsion later. You swore your very life on protecting the innocents from harm. It is better to be alive and mourning for those you had to kill than be dead."

"I suppose."

"No, don't suppose, you need to accept the part of you that _will_ kill. It is in you and it is a part of you. When you kill, mourn for those that forced you to do so. Regret that you had to, but never regret that you did. I killed a lot of men in my time. It never got any easier. I would always feel filthy, like I could not scrub the blood from my skin and never forget the screams in my mind. I hated having to kill, but I am glad I did. Think about this and what it means to you and your destiny."


	6. Back to the Burrow

Disclaimer; Oh yeah baby its all mine, or I may have taken too much mescaline this morning. Choose the one that is least offensive to you.

_/Mind Powers! Boo-yah Baby!_/

* * *

Hermione and the Weasley family were quite annoyed at their friend Harry Potter. He up and disappeared, with royalty no less, and left his friends to face the inevitable questions. They had last seen him almost two weeks ago. In that time each of them had answered questions for the aurors, the Unspeakables, representatives from the department of international magical cooperation, and of course the order of the phoenix.

So when a happy and well fed Harry and Hedwig suddenly appeared in the back garden, the inclination of most present was to hex first and ask questions once they had him tied down. The situation was made worse because with the downfall of Dumbledore, security at the Burrow had been increased. New wards prevented apparition and portkeys from entering the property unless they were made by Arthur Weasley or Alastor Moody. Their sudden appearance should not have occurred.

Charlie let loose a stunner honed from years of trying to get spells through a dragon's thick hide while Bill preferred an ancient Egyptian hex that was less likely to be countered. Neither was prepared to see Hedwig dive in front of the curses and put up a glittering shield, nor were they expecting her to launch two small balls of purple flames from her beak

Hedwig started in on the two elder Weasleys with a vengeance, hooting and clucking her displeasure while she tried to beat the offenders with her wings and scratch them with her claws. Ron, who saw this display but couldn't understand Hedwig thought it hilarious. Harry, who could understand her, was less than pleased.

"Hedwig! Where did you even learn those words? It's not polite to attack people in their own homes. Granted that it is also impolite to attack guests, but that is no excuse for your mouth!"

Hedwig hooted at him some, and seemed ashamed.

"I don't care what kind of off color language they use in the owlery, the Burrow is not place for that kind of talk. The Weasleys are civilized people, apologize."

Hedwig gave each of the three Weasley brothers present a glare before ruffling her feathers and making several cooing noises. The Weasley brothers were very amused by this point, having never seen such a thoroughly chastised owl.

"Harry!"

"Yeah Ron?"

"What are you doing here? Everyone has been looking for you and I do mean everyone."

"What, a guy can't visit his friends on his days off? I thought I would stop by and let you all know every thing was alright."

"Have you seen what the papers are writing about you now? They aren't true are they?"

"No I haven't seen them Ron, I can't get the papers where I have been. What are they saying now?"

"Apparently you are a high ranking member of a dark cult called the Hourglass, practicing cannibalistic sex magics. Apparently you are the next Dark Lord, Harry.'

"Firstly, it would be hard to get respect as the Dark Lord Harry. It just doesn't have that zing. And is it cannibalistic if it only involves drinking blood?"

"I don't know. I think it does though if it is human blood."

"Ok, so maybe they got the cannibalistic sex magic part right, but I am not a member of the Hourglass. Three of my five teachers practice the ways of the Hourglass, and I bet Lucy will make four as soon as she grows up a bit, but I do not."

"WHAT?"

"Don't worry, I am not practicing dark… No wait I guess I am technically practicing Dark magic…. Oh bugger it. I am still fighting on the side of the Light Ron! Don't worry about me becoming a new Dark Lord."

"Harry," Charlie was fingering his wand nervously, "You aren't exactly reassuring us here."

"Look, this is all way too complex to explain in detail and too many terms need to be defined first. Suffice to say I have sworn on my magic to protect those in need no matter who they are and I can testify to that under veritaserum. Now can I go give your mother, sister, and girlfriend a hug or will I need to hex you all first? I've got things to do now that I am back in the country."

Bill finally found his voice, "First you're going to have to tell us how you got past the wards. If you got in that means there is a hole I need to fix."

"Your wards are fine Bill, some of the best I've ever seen they just can't stop me. Hermione is going to ask me a lot of questions too. How about we all sit down over some of your mother's lemonade and I will answer what I can. I swear on my magic I will not bring harm to the Weasley family or their guests today." Another swirl of magic, "So, lemonade?"

* * *

The brothers looked uncomfortable but decided that he was still Harry and they would listen to his story before judging him.

After gathering all the Weasleys and Hermione to the table and a quick kiss from Ginny, Harry sat down to answer the inevitable hail of questions, most of which would probably come from Bill and Hermione. Hedwig sat on the perch with Errol and Pig, and the three seemed to strike up a conversation.

"Ok, we'll start the interrogation. How about I ask a question first and then we can go around the table? Bill, Mrs. Weasley, would it be alright if I brought a guest to the wedding? I made the mistake of mentioning I was coming to Lucy and now she begged me to ask you."

"Of course dear, one more guest is not a problem."

"Fine with me, but you might want to mention it to Fleur later."

"Okay, my question. WHO'S LUCY?" Ginny did not look happy.

Harry laughed at her jealous expression, "Lucille Angelline-SaDiablo is my adopted sister, and she's only ten. There is no reason to get jealous Gin."

Hermione came next. "Harry, why did you need that candlestick and candles so much? I'm sorry by the way; the Unspeakables took it when they couldn't find you."

"Damn, I told you those were expensive, I guess I am trapped here until I can get them replaced. The candles and candlestick were part of a ritual we used to open a portal. The portal took us from Stonehenge to something similar near SaDiablo Hall in Dhemlan. I will not be able to return unless I get another candlestick with the precise measurements and brew some new candles."

"So if we want you to stay all we need to do is make sure you don't get anymore candles?" Ron wasted his question; he originally was going to ask if Harry was joking about the sex magic.

"It would stop me for a little while, but eventually Saetan and Daemon would come looking for me and bring new ones with them. You don't want to get on their bad side."

Shocked silence reigned for a moment as people wondered if they heard what they thought they heard. Fred and George came to the rescue.

"Who's Daemon?"

"And have you pranked Saetan yet?"

"Daemon is actually Saetan Daemon SaDiablo the second, he is my adopted father and is teaching me some really different uses of magic. No, I haven't pranked Saetan yet, but I've got one planned. Saetan is teaching me politics and protocol by the way."

"Cool, our youngest brother is –"

"-being taught politics by the devil himself!"

"Not quite right. Yes, Saetan Daemon SaDiablo Senior is the High Lord of Hell and the basis for a lot of legend, but he is not a demon nor is he a bad person. He is a Guardian and as firmly on the side of Light as I am and Dumbledore was. He is a kind and loving person, mostly."

Charlie chipped in his contribution, "Why did you need all the dragon's blood Harry?"

"Some of it was for potions, some of it was part of my payment for my tutoring, and some I just wanted to have on hand just in case. Here let me show you." He called in the half bottle of yarbarah he had left over from his birthright ceremony and a glass. He poured two mouthfuls into the glass and set it slowly rotating over a ball of witch-fire.

"Try some of this. I can't say I much like the taste, but it is used in a lot of rituals and good for restoring lost energy." He took the first sip to show it was safe and handed the glass to Charlie.

"Wow, that's like a pepper up potion, only I can definitely taste blood. Do I want to know what else is in it?"

"Would it disturb you to know that some of the blood you tasted was mine?"

"You're right, I don't want to know."

Bill finally wanted his question answered, "How did you get past all the wards. You can't apperate, you can't portkey, and you shouldn't have been able to walk onto the property unannounced."

Harry summoned Charlie's guitar from the corner and strummed a little as he answered in a song, "The answer my friends is riding on the winds, the answer is riding on the winds"

Chuckles rose from a few at his cheekiness but Bill and Hermione were not amused. Hermione exploded.

"First you misquoted the song and second you didn't answer the question! You promised to answer them."

"Ok, ok. I actually did answer the question but I didn't explain. I guess I should at least to put all of your minds at ease about your security. Bill, since you are a curse breaker I assume you know about the ley line that runs across the back corner of the property?"

"Yes, I do. It actually made the warding a lot harder to erect in that area because we had to match the power levels exactly to that of the ley line before we could lay the ward. But even there you should not have been able to sneak past them."

"Tell me Bill, which parts of the ward need to be strongest? The outside edges right? So the power enters at the edge and flows inwards towards the house, correct?"

"Yes, but I really don't see how that makes a difference."

"Well I have a different way of traveling now. Those who know it call it "riding the winds." Basically it involves following the power flow in ley lines. Once I was on the line that crossed your wards, I was able to get inside without tripping them. Don't worry, Hedwig and I are the only two people on earth right now who can ride the winds."

"Are you certain?"

"I am absolutely sure. Those who taught me no longer exist on earth and the rest of you don't have Jewels. You need a Jewel to ride the winds."

Harry reached into his shirt and pulled out his Red jewel that had been mounted by Bernard, the jeweler Saetan recommended, in between two griffons on a chain around his neck.

"I've got another on an anklet, and if you look closely at Hedwig you will see an Opal around her neck. These act as a focus object similar to a wand. They are not compatible with anyone except their owner and they don't come from this world so no one else can get one."

Mr. Weasley looked intrigued.

"Don't tell that to anyone from the department of mysteries see that then. So if they are not from this world, how did you get one?"

"Answering that gets into a conversation that the department of mysteries would kill to find out. Basically, the universe as you know it isn't the only thing out there. There are at least four parallel universes we know of. My tutors used to believe it was only three, but recently discovered otherwise."

"There is this reality with earth and all its wonders. There is the Realm of Light called Terriele. There is the Realm of Shadows called Kaleer. Finally there is the Dark Realm called Hell. There are a few spots in each reality where they all touch and over lap. At these spots there is a ritual that can be performed to craft a portal between the Realms. There used to be at least one more realm my teachers think. They believe the Veil in the department of mysteries used to be a permanent portal to another realm."

"Over millions of years of chaos and human unpredictability the Realms have become very different places and our magic is different too. For instance, the purebloods here are very proud to have family lines that go back six hundred years or more. In Terriele there are the Hundred Families that trace their lines back several thousand years. And then there is the SaDiablo family in Kaleer. In Kaleer, the lines can go back several thousand years too, but none can match the SaDiablo's. The SaDiablo family has ruled in Kaleer for more than Fifty Thousand Years. Our pureblood supremacists don't know the meaning of the word purity. Theirs don't either to be honest, it is more important to be able to perform magic than to have a long line of ancestors. So long as you can perform magic, your status is based on strength and inborn ability. If you marry into one of the big name families you still have the same respect as if you were born into it."

Mrs. Weasley finally got her turn. "You mentioned being adopted. You know you've always got a place here don't you?"

"Of course Mrs. Weasley, I have always considered you my family, they adopted me formally and filed the papers, but you adopted me with your heart a long time ago and I won't forget that. Last weekend, we performed a ritual that marks initiation into their society. In this ritual a person earns their jewels. Now part of the ritual asks for the person's parents to sponsor them and promise to train them. It is almost taboo in their society to be an orphan or bastard child. Orphans are immediately adopted and raised in their new families. Daemon adopted me as a son and stood for me in the ritual so I wouldn't be an outcast. Hedwig for some reason adopted me as my mother. That gives me some weird status we haven't figured out yet, but should be interesting anyway."

"Hedwig is your new mother? How did that happen?" Ginny was obviously paying more attention than some of the others.

"Well, we asked for my mother to stand, and Hedwig flew into position and hooted along to the response." Hedwig flew over to his shoulder and began preening his hair. "Gee, thanks Mum, no one has been able to tame it yet, I doubt you will."

This was greeted by laughter.

A bubble of lemonade floated up to where Hedwig was perched and she sipped daintily with her beak. An owl treat suddenly appeared which she ate happily.

"Stop stealing my lemonade! If you want some, ask and I will get it for you. And I was wondering where all my owl treats disappeared to."

"Harry, what are you talking about? If you didn't want her to have some why did you float it to her? How are you doing that anyway?"

"I'm not doing it Ginny. I swear, ever since she learned to do magic she has been stealing my food. She's such a show off."

"Are you trying to tell me Hedwig can use magic?"

"Didn't I just say that? Yes, she's a witch. Ok Hedwig, I know you've been dying to show off anyway, so go ahead and show them."

By now the whole table had stopped talking to each other to watch the by-play between Harry and Hedwig.

Hedwig glided down to the middle of the table and began to make noises. She spread her wings and ruffled her feathers as a fiery illusion became clear in the middle of the table. Purple flames wove themselves into a nest. There was one egg inside. As they watched, the egg shook and began to crack. When the egg broke, a six inch tall Harry Potter climbed out and began looking around. Suddenly a fiery copy of Hedwig appeared and perched on the rim of the nest. She dropped a mouse into the nest and took Harry under her wing as the flames and illusion disappeared.

Fred and George were ecstatic, the rest sat in shocked silence.

"Harry, do you know what this means? We really need to talk to you about some prank ideas now. Think of it, she's the perfect alibi. Having a familiar who can do magic opens up so many new areas for experimentation."

"I would probably agree, but I am sorry to say you've got things a bit mixed up. If there is a familiar here, much as it irks me to say it, it is me. Not only is she my adopted mother now, but she holds a higher rank than me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she's the ruddy queen of the owls, I am just a warlord prince. She outranks me and can boss me around. True, I am only one step beneath her, but it's still a step."

"Oh Harry, you do realize we are going to have to tease you mercilessly now right? Poor boy raises an owl to be his familiar and then thanks to some dimension traveling he becomes her familiar. Not a good showing I am afraid."

Ron was slowly putting pieces together from what had been said.

"Let me see if I got this right. You've been adopted into the oldest magical family in existence. Your grandfather is the Saetan, Lord of Hell. Your Step-Mother is the Queen of her world. Your sister is a queen in training. And you are the pet of a postal owl?"

"That about sums it up."

"Wow Harry, it sucks to be you sometimes." Ron broke into laughter too. "Only you could get adopted into royalty and then turn into a familiar to someone who was bought as a birthday gift."

"Gee, thanks for being supportive."

* * *

"Professor McGonagall."

"Great galloping dragons! How did you get into my office and why didn't I hear you come in?"

"You didn't hear me because I didn't come up the stairs or through the door. I'm not going to tell you how I did get in though."

The portrait of Dumbledore made his eyes twinkle as he looked on with pride.

"Very well, what can I do for you Mr. Potter?"

"It's Potter-SaDiablo now by the way, but that's not really important. I've come to let you know that I have changed my mind about not returning to Hogwarts. I would like to return in the fall."

"I had wondered about the name and will admit it does not surprise me to learn you wish to return."

"I also want to assure you that whatever the papers are saying about me isn't entirely true. Yes, I have been meeting with some very powerful and influential people. No I am not now nor have I ever been a devotee of evil magic or the Hourglass. What do you mean you wondered about the name?"

"That's good to know, I didn't believe you would turn evil on us, but hearing it does make me feel better. Now, you are aware of how we know who to send letters to aren't you?"

"There is a book around somewhere that records all magical births in Britain, and you copy from that correct?"

"Not entirely. The book does record births and names. There is also a quill enchanted by Rowena Ravenclaw that addresses all the official letters for us, ensuring the addresses are correct. This summer has seen the first three failures of those two artifacts. The night before you left, a name suddenly appeared in the book with a date almost eleven years ago. Yesterday, the quill produced two letters that were undeliverable."

"And why are you telling me this?"

"Well, either you could help me correct these errors or there were four errors made. What I thought was the fourth mistake, you just confirmed is not an error at all. Your name changed, and this lets me hope that you can help me with the others."

"I'll do what I can."

"Here is your letter. As you can see, there is only your name and no address. We don't know why there isn't one."

"Thank you, the other two errors?"

"Your last name changed to Potter-SaDiablo. By any chance do you know one Lucille Marian Angelline-SaDiablo?"

"Lucy is getting a letter? Why? She certainly wasn't born here, and she has never even been to Britain."

"Good, you know her. That makes it easier. Could you deliver this to her then?"

"I will. I don't know if she will accept the invitation however. The SaDiablo family is very wealthy and employs private tutors. Between her parents, grandfather and uncle, she will lack nothing in her education."

"Really, how interesting. Well if you get the chance, please do encourage her to attend. Private tutors and home schooling are nice, but we are one of the most prestigious schools of magic in the world for a reason."

"Are you asking me to recruit for you? Really Professor that is a side of you I've never seen before. If she does decide to attend, please deduct the tuition from my account at Gringotts."

"Why wouldn't her parents pay? You said the family was wealthy."

"They are. They're obscenely wealthy in fact. However, for the same reasons these letters are undeliverable the transference of funds would not be practical."

"Well, if you insist, we can allow you to pay her tuition."

"Excellent, I will deliver this tonight and talk to my Queen about allowing her daughter to attend. I may even do a bit of recruiting for Gryffindor House while I am at it."

"Your Queen? You mean the papers were true when they said you were in service to a foreign Queen? We assumed they had to be mistaken because no one had heard of this Ebon Askavi."

"Yes, that part was true, it is impossible to find her territory unless you already know how to get there. But don't worry about spoiled princesses coming to Hogwarts. Jaenelle raised a very down to earth daughter."

"Could you also assure Her that just because you manage to almost kill yourself every year is no reason to worry about her daughter's safety? Or better yet, leave your misadventures out of it entirely?"

"I will try."

"Good, and hopefully I can convince Filius that the quill is not broken, nor the book wearing out. He was quite upset that just as he began his duties as deputy headmaster we had our first problems with them in over a thousand years."

"Good choice. Professor Flitwick will make a fine deputy, perhaps as good as you. Have you found a new DADA teacher yet?"

"Flattery will get you everywhere Mr. Potter. Yes we have actually. Professor Moody has agreed to return."

"Excellent, it will be interesting to be taught by the real Mad Eye this time around. Well I need to be going, I shall see you later Headmistress." With that, Harry vanished from sight without a sound.

"How does he do that?"


	7. Dancing with the Sadist

Disclaimer; Okay, I've stopped taking Mescaline and realized I don't own any of the characters here except Lucy, and none of the locations.

/_This is an indication of mental prowess. I own all you bitches in this area._/

* * *

Lucivar brought Harry back to reality with a bucket of water.

"I don't know what kept you out so late last night, but you know you are supposed to be on my field by seven."

Harry got up and followed Lucivar out to the courtyard, thinking that a bucket of water was worth it if that was the cost of a good snog session with Ginny.

"Since last week I taught you the basics of attack and shielding with Jewels, this week revolves around stealth. You still need to do your exercises with stick, knife, and bow, plus your shield and attack drills, but we will spend most of your time with me studying stealth for now."

"Yes sir."

"Good, now here is your first lesson. We are not alone here. There are three other people in this courtyard and I want you to find them."

Harry opened his senses as if preparing for an attack. He looked around him carefully. He also opened his mind and fed his sense of where magic was into the mix. After a few moments, he noticed a wolf walking through the grass. It was suddenly obvious once he found him, but tricky to spot in the first place.

"Smoke, you're spotted. Thanks for your help." Harry didn't even have time to mention seeing him.

Returning to his task, he focused on how he saw Smoke, the combination of visual clues and sensing the power. There was another power source nearby. There, halfway up the wall, Daemonar was standing on a balcony. A curtain brushed against him.

"Good job son, you lasted longer than Smoke at least."

Instinct told Harry that the other one was close. Something felt wrong. He could tell that there was a power source nearby, and it was close. His instincts told him it was moving but he couldn't see any signs of its passage. The power felt dark, but how dark?

Harry closed his eyes and centered himself. He sent a small wave of power out with his mind, hoping to catch an echo as if learning to see with sonar.

Red. Someone with a Red jewel was nearby.

Suddenly all of Harry's instincts screamed at him, he was under attack. With instinct honed from years of quidditch and dueling with Dark Lords, Harry dove to the left. And caught a massive paw between the eyes for his trouble.

Harry lay on his back and looked up at the last member of the team. A gigantic white cat loomed over him, and Harry knew what it felt like to be a prey animal.

"Harry, this is Kaelas. He is another Red Jeweled Warlord Prince and he will be helping to train you. We will go through these drills until you have eyes in the back of your head and can react at a moments notice to any threat. Acerian cats like Kaelas hunt their prey while using sight shields."

/_Nice to meet you Kaelas. Would you mind getting off of my chest?_ /

/_Alright. Hedwig and the Lady say good things about you, so I will trust you for now._ /

/_I hope we can be friends on our own soon without needing other people to say nice things._/

/_Perhaps, we will see._ /

"If you two are done chatting, we can get back to the lesson. I am actually impressed that you found Smoke and Daemonar so easily since you didn't know how to look properly. When you started looking for Kaelas you finally stumbled onto the right way to look, but it took you too long to do."

"What is the right way to do it?"

"When you send out some power and watch what it bounces off of. This will show you where someone is, or at least a general area. You can compare the areas your mind can sense with the ones your eyes can't see and find people. If they are weaker than you, they will appear. If they are stronger than you, you won't sense them or see them. And as you've noticed, if they wear the same jewel you do, you will be able to sense them and whether they are close, but not much more."

"Ah, good to know."

"Weaker opponents like Smoke and Daemonar should not be able to hide from you now using only sight shields, but you need to listen to your instincts and always be one alert."

"Constant Vigilance eh? I know a man who teaches that."

"He's got the right of it then. Any good warrior knows that you need to expect the unexpected. Any one that plans to become a Master of the Guard in service to a Queen needs to know that everyone is a threat, even in peacetime."

"One last thing before we get back to work, when I was out and about in your world, I noticed something. Without Jewels to stabilize them, your people fluctuate in power greatly. If you ping your surroundings looking for who is a credible threat, you need to know that that is only their current power level. You won't immediately sense their jewel strength because they don't have one. Instead you get an impression of their strength. Do not discount someone offhand. They may just be tired and weak. When you let loose a spell with a Red jewel it is always the same strength whether you are fresh in the fight or exhausted. Your spells will either be full power or not at all depending on how much strength you have left."

They returned to the lesson on how to see people trying to hide, and how to hide from people trying to see.

* * *

When breakfast wound down, Harry asked Lucy to come to the lesson with him and Jaenelle.

"I asked to see you both together because while I was in England yesterday somebody asked me for a favor."

"Go on, I'd like to hear why this involves both of us and my daughter."

"Well it partly involves us but mostly it is about your daughter. The school I attend to learn my kind of craft has offered to teach Lucy. We are one of the top three most prestigious schools in our world. We only accept forty new students per year into the seven year program. I have a letter here for Lucy from the Headmistress."

"That is an interesting offer. What do they teach at this school of yours?"

"Primarily they teach Potions, Herbology, History, Transfiguration, Charms and Defense. Potions covers all manner of potions obviously. Herbology deals with the magical nature of plants; what they are used for, how to care for them, and where to find them. History may not be of much use, but it is an easier way to learn the culture. Transfiguration is an area I see that you do not practice here. It involves turning one object or type of object into something else. The animagus transformation we have been discussing is an example of this, and our transfiguration professor actually is an animagus. Charms seem to be one of your strong points, most spells from simply levitating something to enchanting a music box are examples of charms. Defense involves how to magically protect yourself from danger, whether it be a magical creature or an evil person intent on harm.

"We also study a variety of other subjects, like divination to predict the future, arithmancy to discover the magical nature of numbers and how they interact, a course on magical creatures other than people, and a study of ancient runes and the languages of magic. Our faculty is selected from the best minds around the world."

"It certainly sounds like a good school, but is it really necessary?"

"Well Jaenelle, that's where it involves you and I. For the past two weeks, we have been trading potions recipes and interesting spells. We have tried to compare the different ways we do magic, but I was not raised in your methods, and you were never taught mine. What we have here is a chance to educate Lucille in both schools of Craft and Magic. Tell me, how long have you been teaching Lucille craft?"

"Most of her life we gave her drips and drabs as she was able, but her formal tutoring began five years ago almost."

"I only have six full years of schooling and was never taught anything before that point. She has the opportunity through this school to become greater than both of us. Perhaps not stronger than you in terms of pure strength, but in control of her gifts and variety of things she can accomplish. Through that skill she can be a better Queen and improve the lives of others. But that's all the recruiting I am going to do today. I promised I would make the offer and explain things, but I won't pressure you into a decision."

"Mother, lets talk to Father about it and see what he thinks. I think I want to try it, but I don't know for certain yet, it would mean a lot more time away from the Hall. But it would also mean I could meet other kids my age and make some new friends!"

"Alright, we'll talk to your father. Thank you for telling us about this Harry."

* * *

"Come in Harry, you're right on time. We have an important lesson today, one I am sure will be very useful to you." Saetan was sitting by his fire looking relaxed as Harry showed up for his lesson in politics the next day.

"What will we be learning today sir?"

"Tell me Harry, does anything about the way we appeared in your room and offered to help you strike you as really odd now that you have had time to learn about us?"

"Well at first everything was really odd. Now that I know you, I know how you appeared there, why you chose to help, and even how you found me. So no, I can't think of anything too strange."

"Really, nothing strange at all?"

"Not really."

"What languages do you speak Harry?"

"I speak English of course and some Latin for my spells, same as you."

"But I do not speak English, I never even heard the language before I came to find you. Do you honestly think everyone here has been speaking a language native to a small island on another world?"

"Oh, well then what are we speaking, and how does everyone understand each other?"

"That my boy is the basis of today's lesson. What you have experienced is another spell. This is a bit of craft that all of the longer lived races learn eventually as well as anyone who deals with other territories extensively. Otherwise people would need to relearn their own language every few hundred years, as well as those of all their neighboring nations. This spell will allow you to tap into the speech centers of another person's mind. You will then be able to speak their language to them and understand it in return."

"Wow that makes a lot more sense now. What are the downsides of the spell?"

"You can speak anyone's native language to them, but you don't suddenly learn all of the other languages they might know. Also, you aren't really learning a language, so when they leave you can recall the conversation but not the language. Finally, just because you understand the words does not mean that you understand their meaning. Idioms, expressions, and the like are translated but not their intent. It is still possible to insult someone through ignorance, which is why we have been studying protocol and etiquette. They may be stuffy and formal, but it is a lot harder to insult someone accidentally."

"That makes a lot of sense, that spell would be very useful to me now that you mention it."

"Good, now here is how it's done…"

* * *

Entering Daemon's study that night was a scary thing. From the moment he approached the door, Harry knew that the gentle easygoing Daemon he had known in the past two weeks was not who was waiting inside. Daemon's face looked completely neutral, relaxed, but studious.

"Today's lesson is pain. A warlord prince must know pain, he must be able to fight through it and overcome it. In a battle, you will be hurt, you will burn and ache. You may even lose a limb, but you must never give up until you are dead. You will keep fighting until you die, then you will get back up and keep fighting until they are dead. Pain is nothing, determination is everything."

"Yes sir."

"Hurt me."

"Excuse me sir?"

"I told you to hurt me. You studied the nerves and human anatomy. Hurt me as badly as you can without killing me. I want to see if you understand pain."

"Sir, I understand pain. I have been tortured several times now. Are you sure you wish me to do this? The most painful spell I know is called unforgivable by my people for a very good reason."

"The only thing unforgivable to a Warlord Prince is hesitation. You are hesitating. Hurt me."

Harry really hated to do this. He knew first hand that the cruciartus curse was not nice. And it made him sick to have to do this, but this was a step on the road to defeating Voldemort and he must defeat Voldemort.

"Crucio." He said in a flat, dead voice. All the years of anger and pain, abuse and misery, all the years of loneliness locked in a cupboard came out in that spell.

Daemon dropped to his knees as every nerve in his body caught fire and was ripped to shreds. He was stabbed and beaten, sliced and filleted. This was hell, but he would not cry out, he had ridden through pain before and he would do it again.

Harry dropped the curse after ten seconds and rushed to Daemon's side.

"Sir, are you alright?"

"Again."

"What?"

"Again. I want you to make me scream."

"Yes sir. Crucio!" Harry thought about Sirius dying, about Bellatrix torturing Neville's parents. He thought about Wormtail murdering Cedric. He remembered the Chamber of Secrets and what Tom Riddle did to his precious Ginny. He thought about Voldemort and his parents. The hatred and rage welled up inside him. Voldemort was responsible for almost every bad thing that had ever happened to him! Whether directly or indirectly, Voldemort was where it all started, and he would be where it all ended.

Harry was lost in his own mind as the hatred and power coursed through him. He didn't know how long he had held the curse on Daemon, only that he was now on the floor screaming.

The door to the study exploded inwards as Lucivar and Saetan entered the room. Lucivar physically grabbed Harry and threw him across the room.

"Lucivar, get him to the practice yard now! Let him work off his rage there, I will take care of Daemon."

"No." Came a choked voice from the floor. "Leave us; he still has half of his lesson to finish."

Everyone shuddered at the sound in his voice. The Sadist was awake. Both men backed out of the room carefully, trying not to attract the attention of one of the most feared men in the history of the Blood. They knew what he was capable of and they wanted no part of it.

"Fix the door." The sound of his voice and the feeling of power in the room snapped Harry from his blind rage enough to notice he was still suspended a few feet off the floor by hands he could feel but not see. A wave of his wand repaired the damage caused by breaking the door down, and a curtain of power fell into place, sealing them inside.

"Your spell is powerful; no doubt about it, but it is just pain. That pain is constant and unwavering. Given time, I could have overcome it and so could you when I teach you. Now, it is time for the other half of the lesson. We will teach you how to handle pain…"

* * *

Lucivar did not come retrieve Harry the next morning for practice. He knew all too well what it felt like to be on the receiving end from the Sadist.

Everyone was surprised when Harry walked into the dining room that morning. He was subdued, but appeared to be physically whole. He walked to the head of the table where Sadi was sitting and everyone tensed, hoping to avoid a relapse. Instead he simply called in four vials of red fluid and a white bottle with a red cross on it.

"These red potions will repair your nerves after extended cruciartus exposure, take them every six hours and you should have no long term effects. The white bottle will remove your pain. A sip should last several hours, but take more as you need it. Let me know if you experience any shakes or muscle tremors after tomorrow morning. The curse I used on you can have long term effects requiring different potions. Since you appear sane, you've obviously avoided the worst of them."

"I thought you weren't trained as a healer?" Aaron was the first to test the waters.

"I am not, but I have a lot of first hand experience with what happened last night. I have several of these potions in my trunks. I never know when I will run into Voldemort or his followers again. I have always had these on hand since I was fourteen."

Aaron shuddered, not liking to think of experiencing something that could hurt Sadi as young as fourteen, nor having enough experience with healers to know how to repair it.

Breakfast was a quiet affair that morning.


	8. Learning to Fly

Disclaimer; I am only a conduit for the ineffable energies of the Void. The muses whisper in my ears and I put my fingers to the keys. I just wish they'd give me characters of my own so I didn't have to play with other peoples'.

/_As always, this is mental communication. _/

* * *

"Alright you Rascal, come on it is time for your next flying lesson."

"Ok, why do I need more lessons, you already showed me how to use a broom."

"Well aren't you asking your parents to let you come to my school next year? If you are going to claim to be my sister you need to be able to out fly everyone. The Potter family has always prided themselves on being the fastest people in the air. Or at least as far back as I can trace." Harry hoped he wasn't lying; his father was as far back as he could actually trace the Potter family and he'd been a quidditch star too. Oh well, traditions had to start sometime.

"Umm, Harry…" Lucy was no longer meeting his eyes, she seemed ashamed of something.

"What is the matter Rascal?" Harry intentionally used the pet name he knew irked her, trying to bring her out of what ever was wrong.

"I don't suppose you have another broom do you? We didn't mean to… I'm so sorry!"

"Calm down and explain I only have the two of them, but I can buy another if I have to, I can afford it. Now what is wrong?"

"Mother was very excited when I showed her how your brooms worked, she loves to fly fast. She and Lucivar try the Runs every Winsol and this looked almost as fun. So after I showed her how your brooms worked in the air, we kind of took one apart to see if we could make it better."

Harry's breath caught and his face paled.

"Which broom did you take apart, my old one or the one I have been letting you use?" He was desperately thinking 'Please don't say they destroyed Sirius's first gift to me…'

"We used the new one, please don't be angry. We just wanted to see how the craft worked while it was still new and fresh." Lucy was almost crying she was so upset.

"Oh thank heavens! No, I am not mad at you. The new one can be replaced, it wasn't cheap, but it can be replaced. My broom is very important to me; it was a gift from someone very special before he died. I don't have much of his to let me remember him."

"You're not mad?"

"No, it is alright. Remind me later to give your mother a book I have. I have a book all about brooms and how they are made. If you two had thought to ask, this wouldn't have happened, but then again I see you are just like your mother when something piques your curiosity. It must have been four times last week she blew up my cauldron trying to figure out how the potions would be different if we used different herbs."

"Oh, that sounds exciting, was it a big explosion? One time she was playing around and accidentally turned herself blue for a week." Lucy was back to her usual self, giggling over her mother's many mistakes.

"Tell you what; I am still in the mood to go flying. So why don't you teach me to fly your way and we'll continue on brooms after I have had a chance to replace yours?"

* * *

Lucy spent the next half hour trying in various ways to help Harry understand how to fly with Craft, or even how to air walk. Harry thought he understood, but he just couldn't seem to grasp it. Jaenelle was still the only one in the Hall who would teach him Craft mind to mind; everyone else was too rooted in the taboo of not invading anyone's inner barriers. 

'Ok,' Harry thought to himself, 'I need to visualize wings growing from my shoulder blades, made of craft. The more detail I can visualize the better. Perhaps the ones I will have in my animagus form will work. I've almost got enough detail on them to try for real. Ok, but if I am going to use those, I need to rethink my proportions a little. My bones are too heavy, and my back muscles aren't aligned right. Hmm… Perhaps if I used the charm from my transformation I can make the necessary changes and then use Craft for my new wings. Yes that should work...'

Harry pulled out his wand distractedly and muttered the body morph charm. He started with making his bones more porous and bird like, then strengthened his back muscles a bit, then began thinking of all the other things that would make flight possible. Bones, check. Muscles, check. Rearrange internal organs, check. Decrease mass, check. As he went through every thing in his mind he would need to make this work, he continued on into the other aspects. Then, he visualized the wings sprouting from his back and poured his Red strength into it.

Pain ripped through Harry, he felt as if he were back in front of the Dark Lord, under the cruciartus. This wasn't supposed to happen. Too late he realized what he had done. He was forcing the animagus transformation before he was ready. There was normally some pain experienced in the first shift, but the more imperfections there were the more it hurt. Harry should not have attempted this yet, that much was obvious.

There were only two choices open to him now, or at least so all the books agreed. He could fight through the pain and complete the transformation, or he could get immediate medical assistance before the body morph charm wore off. If he were partially transformed when the body morph charm wore off, that would be all the animagus could ever achieve. Reversing and becoming human again prevented the wizard from any transformation at all. No, in Harry's mind the only way out was through. No matter how much it hurt, he needed to completely become an owl before his five minutes were up.

He never expected to need Daemon's lesson so soon. Harry wanted to lie down and quit, the pain was excruciating, but his determination to follow through with what could be a very useful ability won out. He fought with everything within him and focused on transfiguring his body into that of a snowy owl with green eyes, messy head feathers, and a black lightning bolt on his back.

His vision was swimming and out of focus from the pain when Harry finally passed out. He had done it. He was an owl animagus.

* * *

When Harry finally came back to reality, Hedwig seemed very large, but slightly blurry as she cooed and clucked worriedly. She was coddling him to her chest and trying to preen his head feathers into some semblance of order. He saw a ceiling so he must be back inside. There were voices approaching.

"I was teaching Harry how to fly when he fell over and started to scream. I think he is in a lot of pain, do you have the bottle he gave you?" Lucy must be in the hall, and it sounded like she was bringing Daemon.

"Yes, I've got it. I am happy to say it works too. Do you know what is wrong with him?"

"You'll have to come see, he passed out and I put him in his bed."

"If he passed out, whatever happened must really have hurt. Harry is can handle pain better than anyone I've ever met except your uncle and I." He could hear them entering the room now. "Where is he, I thought you said he was here? All I see is Hedwig and another owl. No offense intended to you sir."

"Dad, that is Harry in bed with Hedwig. Didn't you hear him telling grandmother that he was an owl at dinner when he came here?"

Daemon let out a sigh. In a defeated voice he turned back to Lucy. "Go get your mother. Only the two of them could make this kind of mistake. I'll give Harry some of his potion."

Daemon used the bit of craft originally intended for snowballs to pull a bubble of potion close enough for Harry to sip with his beak.

/_Oh thank you Daemon. That is exactly what I needed. I am glad Lucy remembered that you had one of my potions. _/

/_I am as well. Are you going to be able to fix this on your own? This is a bit beyond what we can do. _/

/_Yes, once I rest and recover some of my strength I should be able to go back to normal. I imagine your wife will want to pepper me with questions now that I finally accomplished the transformation._ / An idea popped into Harry's mind. /_Well if we are going to have a craft lesson, we mind as well be comfortable. Hold on a second and I will arrange some refreshments. _/

Harry brought in a silver plate he sometimes used to chop potions ingredients on, and filled it with some of the Weasley Twin's more interesting creations. A tea pot and tea were summoned and water heated. Harry avoided mentioning anything about the treats.

Lucy and Jaenelle came back into the room giggling. Apparently something about his new state and how he got there was funny to the women.

/_Do I dare ask what is so amusing? Please help yourself to some food while we discuss what happened and how I plan to fix it. Ladies, you might enjoy the yellow biscuits. Daemon, I would recommend the square chocolates for you. _/

The ladies immediately took his advice and grabbed a biscuit while Daemon reached for a chocolate, never having reason to doubt his intentions. After a few seconds Jaenelle and Lucy were turned into giant yellow canaries. Daemon looked very relieved when he didn't join them.

/_Tell me Daemon, what is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you? _/

"Well back when I was just beginning to court Jaenelle as a lover I woke up one morning to a nice warm body next to me. Not even bothering to open my eyes, I assumed it was Jaenelle and cuddled close. Eventually my brain realized something was wrong and I woke up to find myself groping Kaelas. He and I immediately agreed never to mention the incident again and he found somewhere else to sleep from then on." Daemon looked horrified to have admitted that and slapped his hand over his mouth.

Both canaries looked at him with open mouths. They had never heard this story. Everyone just assumed that it was impossible to embarrass Daemon Sadi, especially in bed.

'Thank you Fred and George. There is my investment at work. Verita-mints two minutes of truth in a tasty treat.'

/_Ok, now that we all have someone else to laugh at, I assume you want to know about how I became an owl and what went wrong? _/

Two pops signaled Lucy and Jaenelle returning to normal, though some yellow feathers remained in their hair.

"Actually I am much more interested in how you did that to us."

/_Two of my business partners have a gift for making people laugh. They invented a lot of spells, potions, and tricks over the years to accomplish this goal. When they left school, I provided them with some money to start a business bringing their genius to the masses. The chocolates make you unable to lie for two minutes. The yellow biscuits turn people into canaries. The blue sweets make bubbles come from your mouth when you speak. The red ones are the most fun in my opinion; you can breathe fire for a minute. _/

With the humor of the situation sufficiently diffused away from his accidental experience as an owl they discussed the pranked treats and possible ways to spread merriment around the Hall. The others were all set to slip Saetan a Verita-mint and listen to any juicy stories he knew, but Harry had to advise against repeating a prank just on principle.

Surprisingly the sweets and Harry's accidental transformation became the leading argument for sending Lucy to Hogwarts. Here was a practical demonstration of some of the things magic could do that craft could not. The jokes themselves were funny, but a creative mind could see how the same principles could be used in other ways. In other words, Jaenelle and Daemon did the exact opposite of what the Weasley Twins did. They reversed the thought processes required to turn useful magic into pranks and saw potential.

* * *

On the way to dinner that evening, Harry asked Lucy to stop and let the adults get further ahead. He hadn't learned how to fly in his animagus form yet either, but Hedwig promised to teach him, so he was riding Lucy's shoulder to dinner.

He could sense Kaelas was nearby somewhere, but as always he proved elusive. He wrapped himself in a sight shield too, and hoped to get out of this without being mauled. He had endured more than enough pain for one week.

/_Kaelas, I know you are around here somewhere and if you promise to redirect your anger I will give you useful information. _/

/_Why would I be angry, this is just our training? I must commend you, I too know you are present but I didn't see you even before you hid yourself. _/

/_Or maybe you just did not know it was I. I heard a most interesting story today. One you would not be happy about. Tell me Kaelas, what was your most embarrassing moment? By any chance does it involve Daemon's bedchambers when he was courting Jaenelle? _/

/_How do you know of that?_ /

/_Daemon told Jaenelle, Lucille, and I this afternoon. _/

/_He told? And he told the Lady? Oh dear, the coven will know of this and I will hear no end of teasing. Him too of course, but I won't have to hear that. _/

/_I thought you deserved warning and a chance to get revenge before the coven finds out. Maybe a good distraction will kill the story before it ever gets started. _/

/_That would be quite the distraction. What did you have in mind?_ /

/_If I gave you a potion, could you slip it into his wine without him noticing, the High Lord's too?_ /

/_Both of them together? I hope this is worth the effort. _/

/_Trust me. _/ Two small potion vials appeared and hung in the air near Lucy.

* * *

At dinner, Harry was the center of attention. Aaron who thought them crazy the first time he heard Tersa and Harry at the dinner table made sure to sit closer this time and talk to both of them. Lucy looked bright and happy, with a hint of mischief. She almost ruined the plot by looking at the head of the table too often, but Daemon dismissed it as her planning to spread the story of his and Kaelas encounter. 

Halfway through the meal, Hedwig flew in from an open window and dropped a field mouse on the table in front of Harry. Harry was grateful and cuddled with Hedwig in the owl equivalent of a hug.

Sniffles came from the head of the table and everyone turned to see Saetan and Daemon almost bawling their eyes out.

"That has to be the most touching thing I have ever seen. Can you feel the love between them father?"

"I can son. Have I told you recently just how much I love you?"

"Not nearly often enough. Come here, I want a hug!"

If anyone were paying attention to Harry instead of the overly emotional pair they might have heard his message to Kaelas.

/_Mischief Managed._ /

* * *

Hedwig and Harry stood on the balcony rail that night, overlooking the courtyard. Harry was excited, he was finally going to learn to fly. Flying under his own power and without the use of a broom was always a dream of Harry's. 

/_Ok, I am ready I think. How are you going to teach me? I hope you can explain better than Lucy. _/

/_I will teach you the same way my mother taught me. What's to explain? _/ She said as she batted him in the back of his head with a wing. He fell to the ground with a soft thud. /_Oh well. If you are still alive, climb back up here and we can try again later. _/


	9. New Beginnings

Disclaimer; while the Talaxian Federation recognizes me as the original author behind this, the rest of the universe is sadly behind Ms. Rowling and Ms. Bishop.

/_People can speak mind to mind now_/

* * *

Eventually Harry was able to regain human form, which hurt almost as much as becoming an owl in the first place, and he paid an overdue visit to Jaenelle about the brooms. 

"You're back!"

"I was never gone."

"You know what I mean. So what did you decide to visit me for, our lesson isn't until after lunch."

"Well, this whole episode was precipitated by your daughter. I don't know if she told you all that happened, but I'll fill you in. I tried to take her out for another flying lesson and teach her some more advanced maneuvers, when she informed me that you two had taken apart my other broom?"

"Oh, yes about that… We didn't mean to break it; we just wanted to see how it worked."

"I see why Lucivar calls you Cat, you're too curious for your own good. Anyway, then we decided she would teach me to fly the way you and she do. Part way through, I ended up shifting into my owl form and we got distracted. Some of the visualizations she tried to get me to do are close to those required for the animagus transformation."

"So that's how that happened. I had wondered."

"Now, I propose a trade. I'll teach you all about how the brooms work, if you teach me how to fly and air walk. No one I've asked can properly explain the air walking and Lucy can't explain the flying. Apparently you taught those skills mind to mind?"

"Yes I did, I never had much luck explaining how I do it either, so I just let people feel how I do it and it suddenly clicks for them."

"Maybe I'll have more luck explaining it someday. I brought a book with me that explains all the spells used in brooms and how they are tied together. Seventh year students of charms in my school are taught how to enchant things. They are always asked to craft a major project symbolic of their mastery of the subject. I was going to build my own broom so I bought some extra reading material."

"Thanks I would really appreciate the chance to read that."

* * *

"Harry, Harry guess what?"

"What's up Rascal?"

"Mom and Dad said I could go to school with you!"

"That's wonderful, I know you'll have almost as much fun as I did."

"Almost?"

"Well, your mother asked me to make sure you didn't get involved in some of the things I did."

"Yeah, she told Kaelas to keep me out of trouble too."

"Why did she tell that to Kaelas?"

"It said in my letter that I could bring a cat. Mother asked Kaelas to go with me to protect me and make sure I don't get lonely."

"Mother Night! I think Hogwarts is about to get a lot more interesting."

"Uncle Lucivar said something like that too. He said at least your training wouldn't suffer."

"Oh dear. Well if you are coming to Hogwarts, I guess I need to introduce you to some of our traditions."

"What traditions?"

"Well, even though it has only been around for just over a thousand years, Hogwarts has a great number of traditions that we value. Most of them involve secrets. The sorting ceremony is the first secret tradition everyone goes through. It separates all the students into four groups based on their best traits. I can't tell you about that one because it has to be a surprise to all new students. There are also secret passages, secret rooms, a Chamber of Secrets, and secret clubs."

"Secret clubs?"

"Sure, like secret societies and special groups. Back in my fifth year I started my own secret club. I taught everyone useful skills and how to fight with magic. My parents and their friends were in another secret club, one I think we could restart if we wanted."

"Really? What club is that? What did they do that was so secret?"

"They were called the Marauders of Hogwarts. They were the official mischief makers in Hogwarts. They played pranks and made jokes, making sure that no one took life too seriously. After yesterday I think we could be good at it if we wanted. I was really surprised Kaelas helped to be honest."

"Kaelas is always willing to do something to make the humans look stupid."

"Really, well then he is more than welcome to join us if he wants. I've got an idea already to pull a prank on one of the teachers."

"Oh, tell me please!"

"Ok, the teacher for Defense this year (that's almost like Lucivar's job here) is famous for being paranoid and promoting "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" It would look really bad if in the middle of his lesson with the first years, he were tackled by someone he couldn't see. It would be even worse if a little girl were to yell "constant vigilance" and fight off his attacker."

Lucy giggled. "I think I might like this club."

"But first we will need to get you a wand. I'll let everyone know that tomorrow I am going to help you get your wand and we can leave first thing after breakfast."

* * *

"I'm done with breakfast, let's go find my wand!"

"Ugh… Next time remind me that you are way to cheerful in the morning. Alright we can go."

"Yay!"

Harry was dressed in the work robes he usually wore to potions, hardier and more rugged than the uniform robes he had taken to wearing around the Hall. He and Lucy left the front doors of the Hall and while Harry continued straight towards the landing web, Lucy turned and headed for the Dark Altar.

"Hey, where do you think you are going?"

"Well we don't use wands so I assumed we were going to your world to buy one."

"We could just go buy one, but I thought you might like something better than just any old wand. We are going to make yours from scratch, the good old fashioned way."

"Why do that if we can just buy one? It's simpler and less work."

"Here I thought everyone was so proud of their jewels and their special craft secrets. Would you like a wand that was made because they had the materials just sitting around, or do you want a special wand made just for you and no one else? I thought everyone here liked doing things their way and no one else's."

"I never thought of that. But your wand was bought in a store wasn't it?"

"Yes, but my wand was also very special even before I came around. If it were made any differently I would have replaced it by now. My wand has a brother, and brother wands are special when used together or against each other. Voldemort has my wand's only brother."

"Ok, so how do we start?"

"Well first thing we need is the wood for this. Tell me, where in the realms do you feel most calm and centered?"

"Sitting on a beach in the Fyreborn Islands watching the little dragons wave whomp and eat pickle berries."

"Ok, then that is where we will start looking for your wand's body. What we are looking for is materials that are particularly attuned to your craft and psychic scent. I didn't think you would be likely to find that in a shop on my world. It should come from here."

* * *

Lucy's wand proved to be more trouble than she is, requiring bits and pieces from all over the Realm. Pickle Berry wood for the body, and a hair from the unicorn queen, the warlord prince of the centaurs, and from Jaenelle as the core. Harry had never heard of a wand with three cores before, but he figured that it couldn't really hurt, so they braided the three hairs together and set them aside.

Using a spell Daemon had taught him, they carved the wand body. Daemon insisted that a proper gentleman was also an artist in at least one way and showed Harry how to cut glass figurines with a bit of craft. He extended a thin wire of craft and sliced away the glass, leaving perfectly smooth, polished edges behind. It was an unspoken thing between them that all of Daemon's spells could also be used in another way. If it could cut glass, wood, or stone, what would it do to flesh and bone?

Lucy levitated the branch they had chosen and began to spin it very fast. A few quick passes from Harry's wire and it was now a vaguely wand like cone shape and the work began in earnest. Like a magical lathe, Harry's spell carefully removed trace amounts of material, until Lucy suddenly asked him to stop. She couldn't explain it, but she knew it was the perfect length, twelve and one quarter inches. Harry's brow was covered in sweat from the concentration needed to maintain his spell. He carved the handle and set the wand body aside.

Harry pulled out the copy of "Enchanting Enchantments" he bought for Charms class this year, silently thankful that he had needed to go to Diagon Alley after Hogwarts and didn't wait until the end of the summer like usual. Between the book on brooms and the Charms text that included how to make wands, it was certainly worth the trip. He consulted the chapter that discussed wand making and hoped everything would still work.

He had the wood with a personal connection. He had the core materials with personal significance. The wand body was not transfigured or conjured, nor was any iron or steel used in the carving. The craft used would either insure this wand was perfectly suited to channel magic or it wouldn't work at all. There was no analog to what he had done in traditional magic, usually stone or copper tools were used to shape the body and diamond powders used to sand and polish.

After practicing on some of the wood scraps, he used the spell from the book to split the wand body down the center and laid in the braided hairs, carefully cut to the exact length required for this wand. He said the fusion charm over the new wand and prayed for the best.

"Okay, technically your new wand is almost ready, there is only one spell left to perform. If you have a personal motto or mantra, you may wish to carve it onto the wand. A totem or object of significance will also help attune this wand to you better. If you don't wish to add those, we will say the final spell and see if it works."

"Well let me think about it. I need to think of how to say it right."

"Do you need any help?" Jaenelle's voice caused both to spin around and look to the doorway. Jaenelle, Daemon and Saetan were watching and looking quite interested.

Lucy ran over to her mother and whispered in her ear. Jaenelle thought it over for a few moments and wrote a phrase in the Old Tongue on a piece of paper and handed it to her. She struggled for a few moments doodling on the paper trying to get the exact look she wanted out of her drawings.

"Ok, I know what I want on my wand. You hold it up and spin it this time, but do so very slowly, about this fast." She said while turning in place.

Over the nest few minutes, elegant script appeared curving around the length of the shaft. A second pass brought vines and flowers carved around the words. When she decided she was done, the wand looked very beautiful, the grey wood had almost a blue tint to it and the flowers made the natural grain of the wood shine. Harry wove his wand in an intricate pattern and spoke a long sentence in Latin, pouring his magic, willpower, and intent into making this a wonderful wand. After all, will and intent were the better part of magic or craft as he was learning.

"Pick up your wand and wave it through the air."

When Lucy picked up her wand, those present could feel and intangible wind swirl through the room. Lucy waved the wand and was greeted by ephemeral rainbows and butterflies. It was definitely a success.

"Happy Birthday Lucy."

"Wow, I forgot it was my birthday today." She said in an awed voice. The other adults chuckled.

"That was the point. Your parents told me you would be coming to Hogwarts before you did. They asked me to get you out of the Hall today and distract you while they made arrangements. In our culture, a person's first wand is a traditional gift on their eleventh birthday. Of course most of them don't get a custom made wand from "The Great Harry Potter", but I thought just this once we could make an exception. You are the only person I have ever made a wand for. Now come on Rascal, let us see what Mrs. Beale has cooked up to eat. I'm sure you're starving after all the running around we did today."

Harry was beginning to like having a sister, especially a younger sister who looked up to him.

* * *

That weekend once again found Harry in England. He first delivered Lucy's acceptance letter to McGonagall, who once again went just about batty when Harry appeared out of no where. After that however he was on a mission of an entirely different sort, though still likely to make McGonagall as barmy as Dumbledore in no time flat.

"Moony! Good to see you."

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! Don't sneak up on a werewolf, Cub! I am not even sure how you snuck up on me, but don't do it again."

"Sorry Moony, but I am here on official business, spooking you out is part of the job."

"Official Business? Who's business?"

"Mr. Tundros is here to inform Mr. Moony of the rise of the second generation of the Marauders of Hogwarts and ask that the official records be given into my care so they may be updated as needed."

"A second generation of Marauders, do tell?"

"Indeed, Messrs. Tundros and Shadow, Miss Snow and Miss Flutter-bee do solemnly swear we are up to no good."

"When will I meet the others? It feels so good to know I am not the last Marauder anymore. And what are your specialties?"

"The only hint I will give you is that you already know Ms. Snow. All of us can fly under our own power, bypass anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards, including those of Hogwarts, have a method of communication that cannot be tapped or overheard, and become invisible without the use of invisibility cloaks. Mr. Tundros is the scapegoat and all around mastermind, son of the legendary Prongs. Ms. Snow is can track anyone so long as they are not hiding under a Fidelius, is skilled in illusions, and can access almost any location without suspicion. Mr. Shadow is our expert in stealth and martial skills. Miss Flutter-bee is the cute and innocent one, and our master of obscure and impossible magics."

"Wow, that list of skills daunts even what the original Marauders had up their sleeves. Have the others completed the necessary training and performed a worthy prank?"

"Ms. Flutter-bee is the only marauder without an animal form; however she planned and helped arrange a prank against a VERY high ranking public official. This prank lead to the public humiliation of said person who is still receiving ribbing from friends and family to this day. Mr. Shadow was also instrumental in that prank, in the execution stages. Miss Snow pranked Mr. Tundros and he judged it worthy."

"How did the second generation earn their new names? And may I see Mr. Tundros in his new form?"

"When I first accomplished my transformation, a seer saw my form and had a vision. She named me Kae Tundros, the white thunder. It doesn't actually describe thunder surprisingly; "white thunder" is a type of avalanche that occurs in Askavi. You can be standing in the way and never see it coming until it sweeps past you and you are carried forward in the chaos."

"That certainly describes the effect you seem to have on people. They can hear the thunder and see the signs but never notice your power until you roar past them."

"She would seem to agree. Anyway, Mr. Shadow does not like his name but given his tendency to disappear or reappear out of those very same shadows, the rest of us find it fitting. Ms. Snow is named for obvious reasons; her form is a beautiful snowy white. Ms. Flutter-bee thinks her name is too cute, but the rest of us think she is sickeningly cute sometimes so it fits. She does not have an animagus form, but may eventually acquire one and require a name change. Her current name is inspired by the way she flies, bobbing and fluttering along like a butterfly."

Harry then popped into his owl form and spread his wings while slowly turning to show off his new look.

"Nice work Harry. The lightning bolt on your back makes it kind of obvious though. It fits with the whole "white thunder" thing though."

"Thanks Moony. Would Ms. Snow care to show herself to Mr. Moony?"

Hedwig dropped the sight shield she had been hiding behind and played along with Harry's plan.

"Thank you Ms. Snow."

"Wow, she looks just like Hedwig. Let me look you over if you don't mind."

Hedwig hooted and hopped around for Remus to get a look at her.

"If she wasn't wearing that stunning necklace, I would probably think you were having me on. So, may I see some of your illusions you're so proud of Ms. Snow?"

Hedwig recreated the illusion she had shown the Weasleys, Harry hatching from an egg and embracing her owl mother.

"Most impressive, she pulled it off in owl form and without a wand. I have to respect the skills the first two of the new Marauders are showing. I will have to meet your other misbegotten miscreants later."

"We'll see what we can arrange. You may never meet the people behind the animal faces though. Ms. Snow here will not allow me to reveal her true identity, and I very much doubt that Mr. Shadow will even come out of the shadows long enough for you to see his form. Plus, he may not be the easiest for you to approach anyway."

"Why is that?"

"Well, no offense Moony, but you are a wolf, it's always inside you. Mr. Shadow is an Acerian Cat, like a white tiger. Felines and canines aren't always friendly are they?"

"Ah, so if he won't let his identity be revealed beyond the name and animal form, his instincts might not like me anyway."

"Indeed, but if you come to Bill's wedding I will see if I can introduce you to Ms. Flutters. You will need to meet her anyway for other reasons."

"Can you at least give me hints as to who they are?"

"I can't tell you too much. Ms. Snow and Ms. Flutters are much younger than me, and Mr. Shadow is roughly the same age. None of them are the obvious choices like Hermione or any of the Weasleys. You'll have to figure it out from there."

"Damn, I thought Hermione might be Ms. Snow here. She's certainly smart enough and powerful enough to become an animagus."

"I agree, she might have the potential, but can you honestly see her becoming an illegal animagus? A registered animagus is too obvious and well known to be useful in pranks."

"Good point. You realize you are going to hear it from them about this. It seems that you, Hermione, and the two youngest Weasleys are inseparable, they won't like being left out."

"Well if they work hard and prove to have valuable skills, we may induct them later. This isn't about Voldemort and the war anyway, this is about having fun and reminding people to lighten up and enjoy life. By the way, I wanted to talk to you about something I have planned for the Marauder tradition."

"We have traditions?"

"That's exactly the point, I want to start one, and I need your help to add some authenticity to it."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, at some point in the year, you will undoubtedly be questioned by McGonagall or others about the Marauders. She was your head of house during the first rise and I doubt she spent much time at headquarters before she heard you or Sirius using your nicknames. When she does come to you, let's get creative."

"I am still waiting to hear what you have planned, but I am beginning to see my place."

"Well if I am caught, which while it is unlikely they will find proof I will be a prime suspect. I am going to spin a yarn worthy of the Hogwarts Four. It seems that the Marauders are not a new group at all. In times of great stress and peril, Hogwarts has always had a group of troublemakers and rebels to bring levity back to the students. These troublemakers are selected by Hogwarts itself and taught the arts of mischief. During the first rise of Voldemort, you and the others were the champions of the day, and now it is our turn. There are always four Marauders, one for each of the founders, who are examples of the various talents they sought."

"But we were all Gryffindors."

"So what? You were intelligent and clever. My father was brave and impetuous. Sirius was loyal and hardworking; he did break out of Azkaban to protect me after all. And that rat bastard Wormtail was dirty, slimy, and conniving."

"I'm beginning to get the picture. You want to leave a legacy behind at Hogwarts after you are gone. You want to create a new legend! And faking a noble and ancient history is a very good prank in itself. You will be pranking future generations without ever being there and giving your actions legitimacy to boot because "Hogwarts chose me" to craft this mischief. How very nice. I'll do it."

"Great, that's not the only legacy I'll be leaving. Tell me Moony, what do you know about secret doors, passwords, and the entrance to Diagon Alley behind the Leaky Cauldron? How do those magical barriers work?"

"Something tells me I don't want to know what you're planning but I'll tell you what I can…"


	10. The Offering

Disclaimer; I am a talent-less Hack. I play in other's worlds and puppet their characters while they aren't watching.

/_These are mind bullets killing the brain cells of the inferior human race. _/

* * *

July thirtieth came fast and Harry hardly noticed. He was daily learning new bits of Craft and even learning things about the nature of magic as a whole. He slowly charged his Jewels with power, and his tutors were careful not to drain more than he could recoup in a day. They needed to make sure his red jewels and he were full of power the night of the thirtieth after all. 

Saetan came to collect Harry in the afternoon.

"Harry, tomorrow is your seventeenth birthday correct? You will be an adult at that point, according to your people?"

"Yes sir, that is true."

"Tonight then, Harry, marks your initiation into adulthood. You will cease to be a child and take on the responsibilities of an adult. To mark the passage from child into adult it is time for your Offering to the Darkness. This is the transition from the power of a youth to the strength of a man. With greater responsibility comes greater power."

"Tonight sir?"

"Yes. Tonight is a night that will shape the future for you. You begin this evening a youth. You will end the night tomorrow morning, a man. Likewise your power will change. You must descend again into the Abyss. This time you will have the strength of your red jewels behind you to protect your mind, in addition to the pure nerve and determination you carried with you before."

"Will it just be the same as last time?"

"No, tonight is very different. Part of it will be the same, the journey down into the Abyss and weaving a new web, but there are other parts as well. Along the way, you will relive all of the defining moments of your life so far. You will be forced to examine your decisions again. How would you react to those situations now that you know the results? You will be judged by your responses. There are no right and wrong answers to some questions. This is a test of your character to see if you deserve to wield more power. The Darkness will weigh your strength of will, your purity of heart, and your instincts and determine what you would do with more power were it given to you. Given your birthright Jewels, you may come out of this night with power to match my own, or you may come out of tonight broken and powerless. The choices are all yours and only you can undergo this trial."

"You can't give me any advice at all?"

"I have only two pieces of advice for you. Firstly, we must go to the Keep in six hours, get some rest now because you won't get any tonight and may want to spend tomorrow with friends. Secondly, begin considering what you have done with your life thus far. Look back on the important people you know, places you've been, and the things you've done. What would you do differently and what are your plans for the future? That is the crux of tonight's ritual and it helps some people to be prepared. It may also help you to know that Hedwig will be doing this tonight as well, but I don't fully know what the kindred experience."

"I thank you for telling me what you could, sir. You told me it was coming a while ago, and I put it out of my mind. I will do my best."

"Don't do it for me, this is about you. It is probably for the best that you forgot about it. I wouldn't have told you the details until now anyway, you would have worried and second guessed yourself for weeks and that would have distracted you from what you needed to learn."

* * *

Harry was lost in the Abyss again. As soon as he passed his red web, the visions began. 

Harry was four years old. He slipped on the wet kitchen floor, spilling the pan of scrambled eggs he was carrying to the table for his relatives. He knew what was coming. The last time, his uncle broke his arm after a vicious beating. What should he do? Should he accept the beating passively like before? Should he fight back? Using magic? Using Craft? Should he just run away?

He knew that violence was not the answer; he needed to be welcome in the house for the blood protections. He knew he couldn't kill his uncle; that was not the way. He also knew he did not deserve to suffer. In his vision, a shield came into place around him, so that his uncle could not harm him.

Harry was six. He was running from Dudley and his gang who wanted to beat him for sport. The panic and fear was present, but underneath Harry knew what was coming. Before, his overwhelming desire to escape had apperated him to the roof of the school. That display of magic had cost him last time. Instead he willed himself to be unseen, rather than to escape. The accidental magic made him blend into the background and he escaped both being caught and the punishment that followed.

He was back at the zoo, listening to the snake. This was different, he realized. He could follow his original path and nothing serious would happen. He could avoid it entirely if he wished. Both ended with the same result. Harry was in a miserable home and the snake was in a cage. No, it was time to make a major change. He wanted to help his brother in bondage like Daemon and Lucivar had helped him. When his relatives moved on, he vanished the glass and put a sight shield over the snake. It was hard for a young boy to carry a heavy snake, and harder to get it into his uncle's car unseen. When his vision saw him releasing the snake in the park near his home, he knew he had done the right thing. It was hard, but worth it. No sentient creature should be confined in a small cage.

His letter arrived. He decided not to change anything, the Dursleys deserved a bit of fear and panic.

Hagrid came to bring him to Diagon Alley. He followed along, not changing anything until he got to the Leaky Cauldron. When he saw Quirrel, he grabbed his face and gave him a big kiss. Certainly it was not a hostile gesture to any observers. He held on through the pain as Quirrel and Voldemort were burned alive. There was no mercy or tolerance for Voldemort or his supporters they had to die so others could be free. He woke in St. Mungo's hospital. An Auror was there to ask him questions. He wondered where Harry had acquired so many untended injuries. Harry told him all about the Dursleys. Justice is a sweet wine.

He was in the second bedroom. Dobby appeared and explained about bad things happening at Hogwarts. He asked Dobby what made a wizard great. He discussed that great people did great deeds and he needed to protect others even if it was at the cost of his own life.

He was in the bookstore with Lucius Malfoy. He grabbed the diary from Ginny's cauldron and hid it in his robes. He turned to confront Malfoy and told him he knew all about the plot to open the Chamber of Secrets. He told them Dobby had warned him, and suggested that such a disloyal servant deserved clothes. By playing on the arrogance of Lucius, he freed Dobby. He would protect his friends and free his brothers. He gave the diary to Dumbledore and told him about its abilities to respond. He would recognize it as a horcrux and begin the search early. Malfoy walked free, but Dobby was free too.

He was in the Chamber of Secrets, and the Basilisk was coming. He talked to the basilisk and explained that the Heir was dead. The other voice was merely a memory. He politely asked the basilisk to help him destroy the diary and was rewarded. Politeness and courtesy helped him win a powerful ally where before he had only enemies. Basilisks may be considered dark creatures, but they were not fundamentally evil, and could be reasoned with.

He was in Dumbledore's office after the Chamber. He watched unchanging as things played out. He followed Malfoy into the hall, and tricked him into freeing Dobby once more. Now it was time for a change. Malfoy supported Voldemort and funded corruption in the Ministry. Malfoy hurt Ginny. Two words were all it took. "Avada Kedavra." Then he just used craft to pass the body into the stone floor. Without a body, there was no crime, and Death Eaters got nothing but a cold grave.

He just blew up his Aunt Marge and was walking down the road with his trunk. There, he saw the black dog he was looking for. "Come with me Padfoot, I know where to find Wormtail. We can clear your name and live together as a family should." He summoned the knight bus. "Ottery St. Catchpole for me and the dog."

He was back in the Shrieking Shack. "Please Harry; don't let them kill me…" Pettigrew, his parents' betrayer begged him. His heart screamed for justice. He wanted revenge, But justice was not best served by vengeance. "Stupefy, Stupefy, Stupefy, Petrificus Totalus, Petrificus Totalus, Petrificus Totalus." He stunned and petrified all the marauders. He dragged Sirius and Peter back towards the castle, leaving Remus to transform alone. "Stupefy, Petrificus Totalus." Snape joined his collection. Justice would be served tonight, not vengeance. He watched as Wormtail got the Kiss he earned long ago, and Sirius was set free.

He watched his name come from the Goblet in his fourth year. "I forfeit." Problem solved.

He was alone in the office with the fake Moody, listening to advice about how to win the first task. "Imperio! Open the last compartment of the trunk and stun the occupant." He did so. "Avada Kedavra." And another cold grave met a former Death Eater. No witnesses and no mess. Moody would be found soon.

He saw Snape and Karkaroff in the potions lab. "This is your only warning. Death Eaters die alone and are never found. Seen Malfoy recently?" He was beginning to understand Sadi finally. Sometimes being a violent bastard was what was really needed.

He completed the tasks as he had the first time. Even knowing what awaited Cedric would not allow him to deny the rightful champion his victory. He landed in the graveyard. He saw the approach of Wormtail. "Avada Kedavra, Avada Kedavra, Stupefy." He killed Wormtail, freed Voldemort's soul again, and stunned Cedric while Cedric was still trying to decide what was going on. Two cold graves later and he was erasing Cedric's memory before summoning the portkey.

He relived fifth year, and the only change he made was to use the mirror before he ran off half cocked.

He found himself in the Department of Mysteries. More dead Death Eaters, wiped memories, and a pile of bodies were thrown through the veil. War is Hell, but because of the prophecy, his life was war.

He was a warrior; his only goal was to defeat Voldemort and his followers for the protection of everyone he loved. There was only one crime that warranted his wrath, and only one sentence. There were no repeat offenders He was Death incarnate to his enemies, and the loyal protector of everyone else. Throughout the night, he saw visions of war and terror. The prophecy pointed his life in one direction. Was he strong enough to survive? He didn't know but he refused to die until it was over. He was a Warlord Prince and would apologize to no one for what he had to do to protect them.

Suddenly the visions changed. Voldemort was dead at his feet for the last time, and his followers dead or captured. What now? His mind questioned. Now, all he wanted was to live. He saw a home, with a loving wife and children to raise and love. He saw himself teaching at Hogwarts, caring for children and teaching a new generation of Marauders. He saw himself growing old surrounded by family, teaching craft and magic to grandchildren. He saw a future beyond Voldemort for the first time. He didn't want to be an Auror; he had already seen enough war. He would fight to protect if he must, but he would not seek out a fight.

A war was coming and a lot of people would die. He would kill anyone he had to no matter who they were. Peace at any price. Peace through superior firepower. Peace or death, he would have one or the other. That was what being a Warlord Prince meant to him.

* * *

The next morning Daemon opened the door to his chamber slowly. Harry sat hunched and panting. Every fiber of his being screamed in exhaustion from the mental effort he had expended overnight. He had another uncut jewel in his fist. He resolved already that he would cut and set this one himself. He may not be a master jeweler like Bernard, but this Jewel was not meant to look good. This Jewel had one purpose, to serve a Warlord Prince in a time of war. He already knew he would never wear this Jewel at peace. The Red had more power than he needed for everyday life, and even most battles, but this new Jewel felt savage and untamed in his fist. 

Daemon didn't ask about the results, and he didn't ping his mind. Harry would tell when he was ready. Daemon lead Harry through the halls to a dining room where breakfast and his family waited. They cheered when he entered and he was wished a happy birthday by some.

After the meal, Daemon handed a small box to Harry. Inside he found a small brass key. He looked at them with the question in his eyes. Daemon answered it.

"It's the key to a small cottage in the woods near Ebon Rih. Jaenelle used to go there when she needed some peace and solitude. It's yours now if you ever need a refuge to rest and recover. It's pretty deep in the woods, no people to bother you. It is rather close to Smoke's territory though so I hope you can get along with his pack."

"A home," Harry's eyes were full of unshed tears, "I've always had a place to live, but now I have a home. Thank you so much. Now I have somewhere to be Harry, not the boy who lived, not the savior of the wizarding world, not even Kae Tundros. This is where I can be just Harry Potter-SaDiablo. You'll never know what this means to me. You've already given me so much."

Draca made another appearance. "Congratulations Harry. The time draws closer for you to become your destiny. Follow me; there is something we need to show the others."

"I don't know of anything I need to show them."

"Are you certain?"

"I am certain. I hope they never have to see that."

"Follow me then, there is still something to do."

Draca lead them down into the heart of the mountain. The others, with the exception of Daemonar and Lucy, knew where they were going, but wondered why. They were headed towards the throne room and Lorn. They walked through a corridor filled with portraits and stopped before two ornate doors.

"Lorn will see you alone."

"Thank you."

* * *

Harry walked into the room, in the center there was a throne. Laying on the cushion was a crown and a scepter, both decorated with Black Jewels, now cracked and useless. Along the back wall was what appeared to be a carving a massive black dragon. An eye opened and the dragon spoke. 

/_So you are the newcomer, the new hero. I have watched you. I saw your birthright, your oath, and your Offering. You have power given to very few, do not abuse it. _/

"I would prefer to never need it. I would give up the power and Jewel if I were anyone else. I am the only one who can help my people. Because of that I will need all the strength and allies I can get, but I wish I was not required to."

/_Nothing is final. Visions and dreams can be changed. You have a choice, you always have._ /

"No, I have a duty to the world. I am able to end this war; I cannot allow the innocent to suffer long enough for them to find a new savior. I will suffer. I will be injured. I will have to kill. I may not survive the war, but if I can provide a better future for others, it will be worth it."

/_You are committed then? You are ready to lay down your life to protect those you have never met? You are ready to set your life on the side so you can fight? _/

"Yes, I decided that last night and I am not about to back down now."

/_You are truly worthy then. Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friend. Love is your strength, love for the world. Take the portrait from beside the door and hang it in the hallway next to the one of Jaenelle. _/

"Thank you, but I am nothing special."

/_No, let me tell you what you are..._/

* * *

He emerged from the throne room and placed a portrait of himself on the wall. Everyone looked to him to say something. 

"My name is Harry James Potter SaDiablo. I am Thunder's Son, Heir to the Griffons. I am Kae Tundros of the owls. I wear the Red Jewel, but I wield the Black. Dreams Made Flesh once again walks the Realms."


	11. Birthday Insanity

Disclaimer; No, I still don't own this.

/_This means the same thing it always has._ /

* * *

Harry took a pepper up potion and examined his clothing. Thanks to the Ladies of the First Circle, he now had a proper wardrobe of well made clothes that fit. The Ladies had good taste, and knew all the good tailors. Some of the styles were a bit old fashioned for muggle England, but almost all of them would be acceptable in the wizarding world. There was one outfit in the lot that Daemon helped him assemble, tight in all the right places and loose in the rest, made of the finest silk. His chest of gems was useful in the end. He was able to sell them for quite a bit of local currency. He eventually picked a few outfits and added a simple black cloak. His best dress robes were cleaned and pressed, and ready for the wedding.

He tucked the clothes away into his "craft book bag" as he liked to think of it. He would definitely need to think of what to call it later. He added a couple hangover potions (he knew he was going to need them), and the assorted wedding gifts before going in search of Jaenelle.

"Hello Harry, what can I do for you?"

"Well I am about to head back home for a bit and wanted to ask a favor."

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Well tonight we're going to have a bit of a celebration, actually more than a bit. Not only are we celebrating my coming of age, but one of my good friends is getting married in a few days as you know. So we're going to give him a bachelor party too. I was hoping I could finagle a couple bottles of your special brew for the guys."

"Tell you what, bring me a big box of those truth telling chocolates and I will even give you the recipe. Now that you're an adult I won't feel bad teaching you how to make it."

"Sure, I'm going to see the twins anyway and we may even have a couple new things to show you when I come back"

"Are you taking Lucy with you now or coming back for her later?"

"If you don't mind her maybe seeing a couple of drunks I could take her with me today. I'm sure she'd love all the hustle and bustle that is the Weasley family, and it would honestly be easier than coming back later. We'll try to keep things in check, she should be fine."

"I trust you Harry. In spite of everything, you are a good person and I know you will look out for her."

"Alright, she can come with me."

* * *

"Hey Rascal, are you ready to go meet the Weasleys?" 

"Now? I thought the wedding was in a couple days?"

"Well I am going to celebrate with them today and it is easier to bring you with me now than to come back later. I'll take you out and show you around tomorrow and maybe show you the school. The wedding is the day after."

"Ok, sounds like fun. What should I bring?"

"Bring at least one set of nice clothes, your wand, and any books you might want in case you get bored."

Since he was feeling polite, Harry and Lucy left the winds elsewhere in Ottery St. Catchpole and walked to the Burrow. He didn't particularly feel like the usual duel that resulted from his unannounced visits. The Weasley brothers had taken it as a personal challenge to hex or curse Harry whenever he showed up. They said that if he were just going to ignore the wards, they would ignore the fact he was their friend. It was a game and both parties knew it, but one Harry didn't feel like playing in his tired state.

* * *

"Mrs. Weasley, good to see you, I hope you've got a pot of tea?"

"Of course Harry. My you look peaky! Are you alright?"

"Just fine Mrs. Weasley, I was up all night so I'm a little tired. This is Lucy by the way, my new sister. Is it alright if she stays here until the wedding? We can go elsewhere if that's a problem."

"Nonsense, of course she is welcome. We can put her with Hermione, Ginny, and Gabrielle. The house is just full up these days. I'm so pleased to meet you Lucy. Why don't you both come inside for tea and biscuits?"

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Weasley," Lucy sounded a bit shy.

"Are Fred and George around, I've got a few things I want to talk to them about. And of course I've got to introduce Lucy around."

"They're upstairs in Ron's room last I heard. They're in with you two while Bill, Charlie, and Percy are the Twins' room. Fleur and her maid of honor are in Percy's room. It's so nice to have a full house again."

* * *

"Gabrielle, it is so good to see you again! My word you've grown, you're how old now?"

"Harry! They told me you would come! I can't believe the famous Harry Potter is coming to my sister's wedding."

"Of course I'd come. It's not everyday you get invited to the wedding of a Tri-wizard Champion. Besides, it means I get an excuse to kiss a lovely part Vela lady."

"Everybody wants to kiss my sister. All the boys my age still think girls are gross."

"Who said I was talking about your sister?" He leaned over and gave her a peck on each cheek Gabrielle looked flushed. "Alright! That's one more of my life goals accomplished! I can make a Vela blush."

"When did you learn to speak such good French? My sister was always complaining that no one over here can speak it properly."

"That's a secret. I'll give you a hint, my teacher grew up in the same town you did, and no it's not Fleur."

"Yes, your accent is perfect. Are you always this full of secrets?"

"No, usually I am worse. Unless I am being obnoxiously moody."

"So any more surprises before you run away from me?"

"Actually I was just stopping by to say hello before trying to find some of my friends. I would like to introduce you to my sister though. This is Lucille Angelline SaDiablo. Her mother is the Queen of Ebon Askavi and I am serving as her bodyguard while she is here."

"Wait a minute, she's your sister, the daughter of a Queen, and you are serving her? But you're Harry Potter."

"Really? Wow, I can't believe I forgot my own name. She and her father adopted me. Her mother and I get along really well, but she didn't adopt me. Just because everyone thinks I am supposed to be a hero doesn't mean I can't be a servant too. There is nothing wrong with helping others. Mostly though, I teach odd bits of magic to Lucy and Jaenelle. I'm trying to train Lucy for quidditch, she was born to fly."

"I never thought of that. I heard the story of you growing up, and some of the stories of what you did in school. When you saved me in the lake that day, you just sort of became my personal hero. I guess I didn't realize you were just a normal person. You'll always be special to me Harry. It must be cool to be taught magic by you though."

"Thanks Gabrielle, but I'd much rather be normal and have everyone say 'Oh that's just Harry' when they see me. Being a hero is hard work. I'm going to go find some of the others now. Have you seen Ginny?"

"I think she's outside with the others, probably playing quidditch. That is such an unladylike sport."

"Thanks, I'll see you later Gabrielle."

* * *

"Hey guys, how's life?"

"Harry, good to see you mate! It's about time you got here."

"Sorry Ron, between your mother stuffing us with biscuits and Gabrielle finally getting to meet her hero, the great Harry Potter, we got a little tied up."

"Ah, she can be a bit excitable. Too bad she's not a bit older. And her English is horrid, worse than Fleur's used to be."

"Hermione might not be too happy to hear you say that. There's an easy way around her problem with English. Speak French, girls love French."

"Easy for you to say."

"This is Lucy by the way. If Ginny ever comes down she will learn that there is no reason to be jealous."

"Harry, they're playing quidditch aren't they? Can I borrow your broom, please?"

"Gah! What have I told you about looking at me that what?"

"That I am irresistible and you always give in?"

"Not quite. Alright, you can borrow my broom, so long as you can remember the first rule of flying?"

"If I am going to be calling myself your sister I have to fly better than everyone else?"

"That's the one. It looks like they've already got two seekers. Play chaser then." Harry handed over his precious Firebolt to the overexcited girl.

"Ok, red ball goes through the hoops, don't get hit. I can do that."

"Harry you're going to let a little girl borrow your Firebolt? Are you barmy?"

"Well ever since her mother broke my spare I guess I have to loan her mine. Don't worry; she's a natural in the air. I am trying to train her for reserve seeker. Gryffindor is going to need a new seeker soon."

"Yeah I suppose. Still, it's a Firebolt."

"Do you have any idea how much money Sirius left me? If I thought you would accept them I would buy you and your sister one. I'm not joking. The fact that I have a sister now and she is happy when she is flying is much more important than how much gold the broom would cost if she somehow broke it, which would never happen. She's a natural."

"Blimey, did you see what she just did? I've never seen anyone do that. She did a tailspin barrel roll then flew the other direction upside down!"

"I told you she was good. Do you think she could have pulled that off on a school broom?"

Lucy put the quaffle past a shocked Oliver Wood, who quickly called for a time out and motioned everybody to the ground.

"Harry, do you know anything about this? I thought I recognized your broom." Oliver looked excited.

"Yeah, that's my kid sister who just shut you out. I'm hoping she'll be a Gryffindor so we've got a chance after I leave. You should see her play Seeker. I've been working with her for most of the summer. Everyone meet Lucy, the next great Hogwarts Legend."

Lucy blushed under the praise.

"Lucy, Oliver Wood here is the man who taught me how to play quidditch when I was your age. He now gets paid to play for Puddle mere United."

"How long have you been flying Lucy?" Oliver was looking forward to talking with her it was clear.

"Well I've been flying since I was five, but Harry only started letting me use his brooms six weeks ago. I'd never heard of quidditch before then."

"Really? That's remarkable. Harry, make sure she's on a good training schedule. She could take England to the Cup when she graduates if she flies like that all the time."

"Sorry Oliver, she's not from England and her territory doesn't participate in the World Cup."

Lucy was introduced to everyone and her move was promptly christened the "SaDiablo Spiral" by Lee Jordan. The talk focused on sports and the chances for Gryffindor getting the cup this coming year. Harry snagged one of the twins and dragged him off to the side for a private conversation.

* * *

"What's up Harry?"

"Business Fred. Firstly I need to ask you about your Verita-mints. How's your stock?"

"We've got plenty, the ministry still won't give us permission to sell them yet. They haven't passed all the safety inspections. Why?"

"Ah, well the Queen wants to order a case, plus anything new and interesting you've come up with lately. You won't have a problem selling them to a foreign government will you? As a duly authorized representative for that government, we like them."

"Wow, that's really cool. It may not be a huge order, but just the prestige of supplying a real queen. That says something."

"Yeah, by the way, we got Saetan and Daemon with your Babbling Broth. They were bawling like babies until it wore off. I even got Jaenelle with your Canary Creams. She loved them."

"You pranked the Queen?"

"Of course. Oh, by the way I got a very interesting message last time I was back here. It seems that there are some students picking up the marauder tradition. Moony and I authorized them and they asked my help with acquiring supplies. We are going to place a standing order for your entire line, and multiples of the expendable items."

"New Marauders? And they're official? Including the animagus bit? Wow Harry that is great news. Seeing real professionals at work will inspire people and boost sales. And with that kind of order, we'll even give them a slight discount. Who's paying?"

"Yep, real marauders, I've seen two owls and a cat so far, the fourth has yet to show any talent with the animagus transformation but we're confident about that one too. Padfoot is footing the bill on this one. We decided it was what he would have wanted, and it would annoy the rest of his relatives."

"Wow, just wow. Of course we'll help."

"Great, now that the business is done, on to better topics. You two are in charge of the party tonight right?"

"Yeah, happy birthday by the way."

"Thanks, I've got something to contribute to the party. You guys will love this stuff. The drink is called a gravedigger, and it's the best thing you will ever try."

"Why do they call it a gravedigger?"

"Because you don't know you're drunk until they're already digging your grave. Hey, wake me for dinner would you? I need to catch a few winks if I am going to enjoy our party tonight."

"Sure thing Harry."

"And look after Lucy…"

* * *

"Harry wake up, we need to talk!" Uh oh, it sounded like Hermione was anxious about something.

Harry opened his eyes to see his three best friends standing at the foot of his bed.

"Ok, what did I do this time?"

"We need to talk about what kind of people you seem to be associating with."

Harry decided it was time to make sure he couldn't be overheard. He didn't know exactly where this was going, but he knew there were a lot of ways it could go that he didn't want to let people know about. He cast several privacy charms with his wand, then added sound and psychic shields to the room just in case.

"Ok, now we're alone, what is wrong?"

"Your sister was practicing Dark Magic with Gabrielle when we came up from lunch. She said her mother taught her."

"Whoa, back up a bit here. What was she trying to do and how do you know it was dark magic? I didn't teach her any and I know her mother wouldn't either."

"She said she was going to do a charm and asked for our blood to make it work. Gabrielle indicated that she had already done whatever it was at least once. Blood Magic is illegal and classified as dark magic by the ministry."

"Ok, I'll have a talk with her. No more blood magic where people can see it."

"What do you mean 'where people can see it'? She shouldn't be doing it at all, its evil."

"I see the problem now. Hermione, why don't you ever think logically? Her blood magic isn't evil. In fact no magic is inherently evil. There is no such thing as "dark" magic, it is all a myth."

"Of course dark magic exists, how can you of all people say that? You know how evil dark magic is."

"Ok, again logic evades you. I've asked before, but I will ask again. Do you three trust me with your lives?"

Hesitant nods greeted his look of longsuffering patience.

In a flash, Harry placed a full body bind on Ron and Hermione and took their wands.

"Why did you do that?"

"They need it proved to them; fortunately I know just how to do it. Please sit down on the bed." She did. Harry summoned up his love and desire to make her feel good and pointed his wand at her. "Crucio."

Ginny moaned and flopped on the bed for five seconds before Harry lifted the curse.

"Oh God… Harry, please… Oh my god…"

He quickly scooped her up in his arms and gave her a passionate kiss while using the barest caress down her spine. She shivered and collapsed in his arms, limp as a wet noodle and red as a beet. He sat her up on the bed so she could at least watch the conversation.

He looked at the other two. Hatred and betrayal was clear in Ron's eyes. Hermione's were tearful as she tried to figure out what happened to her best friend who wouldn't hurt a fly.

"Magic, all types of magic, is neutral. There are three things needed for any spell of any variety to work. They are; willpower, intent, and ability. You have to desire the spell to work. You have to think about how you want the spell to work. Finally you have to have the power to cast the spell. Intent is the most important of the three and the true way to determine if a spell is dark. The person determines the intent of the spell. The person makes a spell dark or light. Now Hermione, I am going to remove the body bind and ask you a simple question. When you learn what I am telling you I will listen to you read me every rule in the book and if you want to summon Aurors I will wait right here. I will ask you a question; answer it to the best of your knowledge."

"What does the Cruciartus Curse do? What are its effects?" He released her.

"Harry, how could you?"

"Answer my question and I will answer yours."

"The Cruciartus Curse overloads every never in a person's body causing unimaginable pain."

"Wrong, try again. You were close."

"But that is what it does! It overloads your nerves, which is why it can cause brain damage."

"Much better. Look at the difference between your answers. The Cruciartus Curse does overload the sense receptors in the body. What this does to the recipient is based entirely on the driving emotions and intent of the spell. When a death eater casts this spell, he uses hate and intends to harm you in the most painful way possible. That is why it is one of the unforgivable curses. Ginny, was what I did to you unforgivable?"

"Only if you never do it again." Ginny blushed and smiled.

"If the curse was as evil as you and the ministry say, why is she smiling? And much more interesting, why is she blushing?"

"You said when a death eater casts it he uses hate and intend pain… What did you use?"

"Think about it for a minute, consider what you have seen."

"It looked almost like she was… Oh my god!" Hermione blushed and hid her face when she finally realized what she had witnessed. "You… Her… Oh my god! I didn't know that was possible!"

"So tell me Hermione, is the Cruciartus Curse inherently evil? Is magic inherently evil?"

"Wow, I guess not. You just managed to completely destroy and rebuild my concepts of how magic works."

"Want a turn now that you know I am not evil?"

"What?"

"Oh no you don't buster! The only one you are allowed to curse like that is me!" Ginny decided to defend her territory before she got any ideas.

Harry leaned close and whispered in Hermione's ear, "That's ok I have other spells just as fun…"

Hermione went right back to blushing and hiding her face.

Harry looked over at Ron to see if he understood yet. Evidently not.

"Ginny, your brother is really thick. I know its embarrassing but please, for both of our sakes, tell him exactly what I did to you."

"When he hit me with the curse, every nerve in my body lit up, but they were excited with pleasure instead of pain. I was being held, cuddled, kissed, licked, tickled, squeezed, and fondled. It was the most exquisite feeling in the world, but it never slacked off, my nerves never calmed. It was torture of an entirely different and more pleasant variety. Then when he kissed me and held me, everything just broke all at once and I was in heaven. I think I need to change my knickers."

"Alright, now I am going to release you, but you don't get your wand back until I am sure you won't use it."

Harry released Ron from the spell. Ron instantly charged and laid a hard right hook across Harry's jaw.

"That was my sister! It's almost worse that it feels that way! That's my sister you just… you know, in front of me. I don't need to see those things. Merlin knows I don't want to know what my sisters face looks like when she… you know."

"Alright, now that we got that out of our system, did we learn anything? Lucy is not practicing dark magic. Magic is not evil. Do we need to call any Aurors? Am I going to get more familiar with the dementors? No? Thank you. Now I'll go talk to Lucy before I go back to sleep. I didn't sleep at all last night and I really need some. Ginny, you're free to stay if you want."

"I'll need to change first, I wasn't kidding."

"Later I will have to show you what else I've learned." His whisper reached her ears only.

* * *

The party got underway after dinner with fireworks and drinks outside. All ladies were promptly banished, forbidden from witnessing the sacred rite of the bachelor party.

They drank all manner of beverages, told dirty stories and off color jokes, all the usual things men bond over. Things got more interesting when the twins introduced the Verita-mints and started asking questions.

They went around the fire asking about their most embarrassing moments and greatest achievements.

"My greatest achievement? That is an easy one, it happened just this morning. I made a Vela blush. I didn't even know they could, but sure enough they can." Harry opened it up.

"Wait, Vela can blush? I'm marrying one soon and I've never seen her blush. You, my friend, are a god. Teach me." Bill fell to his knees and began bowing to Harry. No one would have believed it except for the chocolates.

"My most embarrassing memory is also pretty easy. I assume everyone here remembers when they got 'The Talk'? It is pretty memorable. Anyway, my adopted father decides the day after he adopts me, that its time for 'The Talk.' What I never realized was that he was a pleasure slave for all of his life before he met Lucy's mother. And he is positively ancient. This man has forgotten more about pleasing witches than any of us will ever know. So every night after dinner, we spend two hours in his study having 'The Talk'. He's done it every night this summer if I was there, and he hasn't repeated himself yet. And what's worse, he's even including men in his lessons."

"A six week long Talk? You're having us on! There isn't that much to know." Charlie laughed out loud, clearly disbelieving.

Harry just sighed and snapped his fingers. Phantom hands ran through Charlie's hair, and massaged his scalp, finger nails traced patterns on his back while four separate tongues circled his nipples and another ran up his chest.

"Eeep! Oh God, get them off! You're creeping me out Harry, I believe you." The phantoms ceased.

Angry Ron was back. "That's my brother! You're sick Harry absolutely sick! First…"

"Obliviate! You remember nothing about Charlie. Harry's most embarrassing memory involves a baby hippo four gallons of neon green paint and an irate zookeeper. You remember nothing of when you came to see me this afternoon. You and I had a discussion between the two of us. You decided I was not evil and left."

"Harry, why did you just memory charm my son? And what happened this afternoon?"

"Trust me he is much happier without those. Earlier today he accused Lucy of practicing dark magic. I had to correct his misconceptions and the manner I used to explain it was very embarrassing because it involved emotions, love, and assorted other un-manly things. It was made worse by the fact that Hermione and Ginny were present when we had to talk about this. You know he can't handle emotions well."

"Oh. I better not find out you're lying."

"Trust me, you can bet you shirt it was what he was going to say was embarrassing if he ate one of those chocolates. Ask Hermione if you don't believe me. She won't be able to tell you exactly what happened, but she will agree he didn't want that memory."

* * *

Sometime around midnight, they finally opened the first bottle of Gravediggers. They turned out to be a big hit with everyone present and the party really got interesting.

Under the influence of much alcohol, everyone was showing off all the neat bits of magic they knew and cool tricks they had learned.

"Hey, you guys want to see my phoenix impression?" Harry slurred, more than a little drunk.

"Sure, why not man…"

"Ok, watch carefully now."

Harry shifted down to his owl form and drunkenly stumbled to the center of the circle. The others cracked up at the sight of a drunken owl. Once he managed to stay still for a moment, he lit a ring of witch-fire at his feet and let it turn into a pillar of flame around him. He tried to sing a couple notes, but failed utterly. He wrapped himself in a sight shield and flew to a nearby branch. Dropping the shield, Harry flew back to the circle, tried to sing again, and fell over when he bowed to his audience.

He only hoped they wouldn't remember this in the morning.

Lucy forced a hangover potion down his throat the next morning and told him breakfast was ready. Harry made it his job to visit all his fallen comrades and bring them sweet release.

* * *

After breakfast Mr. Weasley approached Harry.

"Harry, me and the others have been comparing notes about last night and there are a couple things we don't quite remember. There was something about a memory charm we know. After that it gets confusing for a while, and then we have another thing we remember. Apparently there was something about a phoenix impression, and lighting a drunk owl on fire? Do you know about either of these?"

"No, I don't remember the memory charm. And I'd prefer it if the rest of you forgot about the phoenix thing. Don't worry, Hedwig is fine. Let's not ask too many questions we don't want to know the answer to." Harry lied through his teeth and hoped they wouldn't notice.

"If you don't remember the memory charm, it may have been against you. Ron doesn't remember either. We remember talking about embarrassing stories. Charlie thinks he found a new one but won't tell us what."

"Do you think one of you cast a memory charm to make us forget one of the stories? What could be that bad?" That's right Harry; make them think you are the victim not the villain. You'd make a good Slytherin."

"I don't know, and that worries me a little."

* * *

The Twins grabbed Harry not long after, and dragged him into a room before sealing the door and throwing up privacy charms.

"Harry, we want to talk about last night."

"What about it, do you remember anything more?"

"Oh yes, we remember a lot more, and we know you do too."

"What?"

"First rule of hosting a party, don't indulge in the booze. Someone needs to stay sober to prevent the rest of you nut jobs in line."

"Oh…"

"Indeed. So care to tell us why you memory charmed him?"

"Like I said, he accused Lucy of using dark magic. I explained to him that there is no such thing as dark magic, only dark wizards. Intent is everything. To demonstrate, I cast a certain dark curse. Most people who cast it think strong feelings of hate and the desire to see the other in pain. That emotion and intent makes the curse painful. I cast the curse using love and a desire to make others feel good. Ron got very upset with me because your sister liked it. She even told me I should do it again some time."

"And you memory charmed him why again?"

"Look at it from his point of view. First I pleasured his sister in front of him, and then I almost do the same to his brother. That's not quite how it happened of course, and they were very different spells, but Ron over reacts sometimes."

The both cracked their knuckles together.

"Tell us Harry, what do you mean you pleasured our sister?"

"I won't say how exactly, but the curse ended with her moaning, panting, and begging me to help 'finish her off.'"

"We think we can see why you liberated this from his mind, but be warned, if Ginny shows up with a memory charm, you are a dead man."

"I never will, I swear."

"Good. Now, about the pheonix impression. It was quite good, very educational if you ignore the drunk owl. Hey, didn't you say that two of the new Marauders you were sponsoring were owls? You don't suppose that maybe one of them was there last night?"

"Alright, you caught me. Yes I am an owl animagus. Yes I am a marauder. No I will not reveal the others. No I cannot tell you in advance of any new pranks. Sorry guys, best I can do is promise to come to you if I need help. I will tell you right now that we are planning a massive prank of truly epic proportions for sometime this year. We will prank the whole school, and several generations of students past present and future simultaneously. I will let you know what's going on when it happens."

"I suppose thats the best we can ask for."


	12. Weddings and Funerals

Disclaimer; Same as always.

/_Still mental speech._ /

* * *

"Anyone else up for a trip to Diagon Alley? I promised to show Lucy around, and we need to stop by Olivander's any way."

"Oh, are you excited about getting your first wand?" Mrs. Weasley looked nostalgic. "Your first wand is always special."

"No, she already has one, but we are going to have Mr. Olivander look it over and pick up all the other necessary bits like polish and a holster."

"Harry gave me a wand for my birthday! Want to see it?" Lucy showed everyone her new wand proudly. They marveled over the vines and flowers.

"What does this inscription mean? I've never seen this language before." Hermione always enjoyed a good mystery.

"It's in the Old Tongue, so I can't give you an exact translation, but it is a promise that this wand cannot be used for evil. It is a queen's wand and is meant to help people."

"See Hermione, I told you. Her wand can't do that." Harry had to drive his point home again.

"Well it's clearly a fine wand, why would you need Mr. Olivander to look it over?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "Where did you find such a beautiful wand anyway?"

"I want Mr. Olivander to make sure it is safe because I made it for her. I just want a professional to look over my work."

"You made her wand? But they haven't taught us how to do that, where did you learn?" Hermione was back on the case, hoping to get some back for the dark magic accusation.

"Honestly Hermione, can't you read? Enchantment is what we are going to learn in Charms this year, wand making is in chapter seventeen." Harry teased with a grin.

"That's it, I'm coming with you, we'll see if you did it right. Just because it is pretty doesn't mean it works. Then I can stop by Flourish and Blot's and get my texts." Hermione was clearly put out at seeming to be 'behind' her friend in studying.

"Is anyone else coming? Let's paint the town red!"

* * *

"Mr. Potter, Holly and Phoenix feather, is everything alright with your wand?"

"Hello Mr. Olivander, it is still in excellent condition all things considered. I'm just here to pick up some polish. I would like you to meet my little sister Lucy though. She has an interesting wand and we want your professional opinion. She will also need polish and a holster for her wrist."

"Hello Lucy, may I see your wand? I promise to be very careful with it."

She handed it to the creepy old man shyly. He carefully examined it, cast a few revealing spells over it, and finally held it in the air and said "Avis". A large flamboyant peacock strutted around the room making Lucy giggle.

"Hmm, a fine wand, but it is intriguing. Made from a wood I don't know, containing three cores. Hairs from a unicorn, a human, and a centaur? Clearly it will favor females and charms but the centaur hair makes it good for defense too. It seems like it would be a very temperamental wand in the hands of anyone else but you dear girl. Was this a Gegorvitch creation? No, too intricate. He prefers a more bold style. Who made it?"

"I did, which is why I wanted you to look it over first. The unicorn and centaur willingly gave only this one hair. The other hair is from her mother. I didn't know if it will really help, but I didn't think it could hurt either. Personally, I very much believe in the magic of a mother's love for her child. It has saved my life at least twice."

"Indeed, it will make the wand stronger for her, and that wand can never be used against her. Her mother's blood would almost assuredly cause a reaction like what brother wands share. Well done Mr. Potter, if you want a career in custom wands, come see me after you graduate. I will let you apprentice here until you know for certain how all the different components will react. You show some promise. Do consider it would you?"

"Certainly. Thank you for the complement Mr. Olivander."

* * *

"Well, what did he say?" Hermione wanted to know. Her nose was already buried in "Enchanting Enchantments".

Harry gave Lucy a couple galleons and sent her off to the sweet shop for a few minutes.

"He offered to apprentice me after we graduate. It is a good wand, but he tells me it would be too temperamental for anyone but her to use properly."

"Oh, so you got lucky, well alright then."

"Hermione, the Olivander Family has been making and selling wands for more than two thousand years. Look at the sign. Would Mr. Olivander pass on his art to just anyone? He offered to teach me, and I would like to take that as an accomplishment."

"I'm sorry Harry, I wasn't thinking. I got jealous."

"It's alright Hermione, you've had enough things from me lately that you couldn't explain and I know what that does to you. This was just one more thing, and you thought the answer was right in front of you. I shouldn't surprise you like this. Forgive me?"

"No, I was wrong. It is a nice wand Harry. Will you help me learn to make one later?"

"Of course, and I can even show you a trick I learned to make the process go faster. I need your help with some ideas I have anyway and this will be one we can work on together."

"What do you need my help with?"

"I've learned a lot of new spells this summer, but they are all built with Jewel magic. I've tried to convert them back into something I can teach you guys. It isn't any fun being the only person who can do some things. This has made me think a lot about how magic works, which kind of lead to yesterday's discussion. Hermione, you're the most brilliant witch I know. Tell me, have you ever thought it was odd that first years were never taught the nature of magic and magical theory? We just start right in with how to move the wand and what words to say. If people understood why certain movements and words caused certain effects, we might make learning magic easier."

"Well, if you studied ancient runes and arithmancy you would get some magical theory."

"That isn't until third year, it is only for certain classes, and it is a limited view. I want to teach the first years some this year. Lucy knows more magical theory than I do! The muggle born children especially with have an easier time with their classes. I want to teach them about why magic works, proper visualizations, and some techniques to make learning new spells easier. Think about the potential for change. Would you help me?"

"Wow, that's some project Harry. Have you talked with Professor McGonagall?"

"I was going to go see her later today actually, and give Lucy her first look at Hogwarts. Would you like to come along?"

"I guess I could spend a few minutes discussing this with the Professor and seeing what she thinks. I will admit some of what you said yesterday surprised me. You aren't going to do the same around Professor McGonagall are you? She would absolutely lose it if you cast that spell no matter the intent."

"No, I have a far better demonstration in mind. Would you like to see her rendered speechless? Or shocked?"

"Nothing can phase her. What are you planning?"

"Sorry can't tell you. If you'll excuse me, I need to visit the apothecary, jeweler, and plumber."

"Why those three stores? What are you planning?"

"Well I need some sulfur, copper, silver, and lead. I'm going to do magic!"

"What do those ingredients have to do with anything?"

"Here, it's all in the book." He dropped a book he got from Bernard in her arms.

"Wait! I can't read this!"

* * *

They arrived at Hogwarts after lunch and found the Headmistress still in the great hall chatting with Professor Slughorn.

"Greetings Professors. It is good to see you both again."

"Splendid to see you too Mr. Potter and Miss Granger, hopefully your schedule will be a little less complex this year and you can come to our gatherings?" Professor Slughorn was at it again.

"I'll try, but I've got a lot of plans for this year already and life never gets easier. I will try though. Maybe after I am done talking to Professor McGonagall you and I can spend some time in one of the potions labs? I've got something I need to cook up real quick."

"Certainly Mr. Potter, I look forward to it." Slughorn left to plan some new parties now that his crown jewel had promised to come to his events.

"Professor McGonagall, do you have time to talk? I wanted to talk to you about a project I was considering."

"I think I can squeeze you in now, I wanted to talk to you anyway. We will have to keep it short however, I am meeting with someone later."

"Well professor, I wanted to talk to you about taking on some more responsibility around here. I'm not talking about wanting to be a prefect or anything, hear me out. I've been doing some thinking and I realized a couple things. I learned more about how and why magic works this past summer than I ever learned here. The nature and theory behind it I mean. While teaching us the spells and wand movements certainly works well and produces good witches and wizards, I think that some of the poorer students might do better if they were taught WHY a spell works. I also remembered how much I liked teaching the D.A. in my fifth year."

"So what I want to do professor is start a club or a series of lessons for the first and second years (and any older students who want to attend) to help them understand the how's and why's of magic. The muggle born students would probably benefit the most and I want to help them out. Can I have your permission to start such a group?"

McGonagall smiled, "What brought about this great epiphany if you don't mind me asking? And will it just be you doing the teaching?"

"Well Hermione and I want to lead it. As to what gave me such a new understanding, I'll bet you a galleon I can surprise you."

"I'll take that bet Mr. Potter." She placed a galleon on the table.

"Hey Lucy, I need a galleon, can you give me one of the ones I gave you earlier?" Lucy had been looking at the illusion on the ceiling for quite a while. She was fascinated. She waved her hand absently and a galleon dropped to the table from thin air.

"That's a nice trick, but hardly surprising Harry."

"Oh that wasn't the surprise. Lucy, if you want to take a closer look at the ceiling, feel free to climb up there and check it out. Its been there for a thousand years I doubt it's fragile."

"Ok," Lucy began climbing a ladder that wasn't there as she ascended towards the ceiling. When she got to the rafters and was inside the illusion itself, she simply sat down on empty air and studied it.

McGonagall simply pushed the galleons across the table, mouth open in shock. "How does she do that?"

"No one ever told her it was impossible. She has been walking, climbing and sitting on air since she was five. She just believes that she can, and focuses her magic on what she wants it to do. Willpower, intent, and talent, everything needed for a spell to work. When I started to learn how she does that and other things, I had my epiphany on how magic works. She does that the same way you assume your animagus form. You decide to do it, state your intention to do it, and let the magic flow."

"You have my permission Mr. Potter and I dare say that if you can teach your students to do that, I will come to your study group."

"Thank you Professor, I will try not to let you down. What did you want to see me about?"

"Actually something rather similar. As you know, the position of Head Boy is a position we award to someone who exhibits leadership skills and acts as a role model to the students. He is chosen from among the prefects and quidditch captains. In your year, there is only one person the staff feels exhibits the strength of character and qualities we desire as Head Boy. We would like to offer it to you, and your request to lead this study group is just one more example of why we feel you deserve it."

Now it was Harry's turn to be floored. He honestly never expected it.

"Wow, I don't know what to say. Who is going to be Head Girl?"

"Hermione Granger of course."

Harry spun around towards the bushy haired witch. "And you never told me?"

"You aren't the only one around here who can keep secrets from their friends." She looked positively wicked.

* * *

August second was clear and beautiful, the perfect day for a summer wedding. The sky was a brilliant corn flower blue, and there was a slight breeze without being too windy. The temperature was in the mid twenties (AN; 70F-80F for the Americans).

As much as the weather was perfect, life in the Burrow seemed to be anything but perfect. People were hurrying to and fro trying to prepare for the reception and the wedding at the same time. Mrs. Weasley was in a right state. Her apron was covered in flour and her hair frazzled. She did not look ready to head to the church in an hour. Harry decided to take charge and help her enjoy the day.

"Mrs. Weasley, get out of the kitchen right now! You need to go get dressed and take care of your make up. Let me worry about the food and setting up for the reception. I won't take no for an answer. Get out of my way!"

He shooed everyone out of the kitchen and locked the door with a red lock.

"Dobby!"

"Harry Potter sir is calling Dobby?"

"Dobby, we need you're help. Everyone is rushing to get ready for Bill's wedding and they can't do that and set up for the reception too. Do you think you can get some of the House Elves from Hogwarts to help?"

"The Wheezys is having a wedding party? You should be calling Dobby sooner. Dobby would help Harry Potter and his Wheezys anytime."

"Ok great, well I am asking for your help and the help of any Elves who want extra work. I don't know what you do all summer when there are no students at Hogwarts. Here's the menu we want. All the food is in the cupboards and refrigerator. We are going to need tables and chairs set up out back I have a drawing of how we want it done around here somewhere. If you need something and we don't have it, I will leave a bag of money on the table. The reception starts at one o'clock. Can you help us Dobby?"

"Dobby will make sure it gets done. Everything will be perfect. It is what House Elves do best. You wizards go enjoy the Wheezy wedding. House Elves will do House Elf work."

Much to his amusement, Harry found himself being shooed out of the kitchen he had just commandeered. He barely had time to cast more Red locks on all the windows and the back door. Mrs. Weasley was not getting back into this kitchen until after the reception was over. Mrs. Weasley was also not happy about being locked out. Her need to be in control and hover over the details was almost as bad as a House Elf so Harry decided to redirect it.

"Mrs. Weasley, get dressed and made up quickly. You need to be at the church in an hour and we want to make sure all the flowers and music are perfect."

That was all it took. She was out the door like a shot fussing at the rest of the family in no time flat.

* * *

The service went well and Mrs. Weasley had to be physically restrained several times to prevent her from hugging and crying on a member of the wedding party until after the service.

Lucille didn't understand all of the customs and traditions, but she enjoyed seeing two people in love as much as everyone else. And the variety of guests was interesting to behold as well. Several of Fleur's Vela relatives had shown up, and there were even a few Goblins on Bill's side of the aisle. There were a few rowdy looking warlocks in the crowd who knew Bill as curse breakers, and many elegant French witches who had gone to Beauxbatons with Fleur.

As soon as the service was over everyone moved back to the Burrow for the reception. Harry was pleased to see that the House Elves came through for him and made a note to do something nice for them when he returned to Hogwarts. He had learned by now that most didn't want to be free, so he would try to find out what they did want. Service was not slavery, a distinction he could appreciate.

The food was almost as good as Mrs. Weasleys own, a point he made sure to mention knowing that she was still a little miffed at him. There was a greater variety and quantity of food than originally planned interestingly enough. The House Elves didn't know the meaning of the word waste, Harry thought as he accepted a potato rind appetizer from a floating tray. The skin of a potato was covered in the trimmings of various vegetables and sprinkled with cheese. It was a good use of what even the Weasleys would have thrown away and didn't look out of place at all. Harry mingled with all the guests, making liberal use of Saetan's language spell when he met someone from abroad.

He spent a short time chatting with an old Egyptian man about how to tell when the weather was changing. This was apparently a life saving skill in Egypt, where sand storms could be deadly. The man's voice was almost lyrical in the way he enunciated his words and made his sentences flow together.

Daemon's tutelage was getting a lot of use too. He had changed into his party outfit, designed to make the women notice, and moved with fluid grace between the groups of talking and eating people. He probably broke half the women's hearts when after chatting companionably with a Vela for a few moments without being overcome; he walked up to Ginny and gave her a short peck on the cheek. His hand brushed up her back and across her shoulders as if hesitant to leave when the rest of him walked away.

He made his way over to Fleur and handed her a package wrapped in silk.

"My Queen and the Ladies of her court asked me to bring this to you. They wouldn't tell me what it was, but blushed when I asked so I suspect you might enjoy it."

"Your Queen sent a gift to my wedding? How generous! Please let her know I thank her."

"Do you mind if we find out what it is? I know those ladies and their husbands. If they were blushing, it must be interesting."

"I don't see why not. Then at least you know what you've been tricked into. I must complement your French. Gabrielle told me, but I thought she was just exaggerating about 'the Great Harry Potter' again. She adores you."

After unwrapping enough black spider silk to make a gown, they found a book. Harry couldn't read the title even with his spell. Fleur was blushing though, so evidently she could. He examined the book, and recognized Jaenelle's psychic scent and part of the translation spell. It must only allow itself to be read by females he mused.

"Harry! You've got to tell me how you keep doing that! That's twice this week you've made a Vela blush. What's the book dear?"

"Bill, Harry just delivered a special gift from the ladies he serves. I am shocked at the title though. I hope it's as good as it sounds."

"What is the title, that isn't any script I recognize."

"Don't bother Bill, Jaenelle enchanted it herself. Apparently it only shows itself to women. Even if you managed to break the enchantment, it would be a language you don't know. So tell us Fleur, what trouble did I just let loose into the world?"

"How to Tame and Train Your Savage Male by Jaenelle Angelline-SaDiablo and the Coven, the subtitle is a bit risqué."

"Oh my god. I've heard stories about that book. Good luck Bill. I'll miss you."

"It doesn't sound that bad."

"No Bill, you don't understand. The Coven are married to the some of the most powerful and infamous men in the world. Jaenelle is married to my father, who is the equivalent of a male Vela. You don't stand a chance against the ideas in that book. Your hair will be cut and the dragon's tooth gone by the end of the month. And you will think it was your idea. I'm sorry."

"Wait, that book tamed your "I have a six week long Talk" father? Oh bugger me."

* * *

Harry and Lucy were entertaining a group of young children by juggling balls of witch-fire and making illusions when Harry felt a ripple of magic. His senses were instantly on alert as he sought the source. Suddenly he realized it wasn't that magic was added, something was missing. The detection wards were gone! The apparition and portkey wards were still up, but those that detected intruders had just fallen which meant someone was on the grounds and wanted a trapped group of unsuspecting people. He sent out a long range ping of his magic. He needed to know where and how many and he needed it now.

"Lucy, some uninvited guests have arrived and I am going to go be a violent bastard. If anyone asked, I need to see a man about a dog." His voice was almost a whisper, but she knew what that tone meant. You couldn't live with the males of the first circle and not know.

Harry called in the bracers he had made the day before in Slughorn's lab. Made from an alloy called niello and hardened by magic, they were pitch black and shiny. They were hideously ugly, and so was their intent. He could have made them pretty, but it was a reminder of their purpose. Each bracer had half of Harry's Black Jewel set in the center. The Jewel was not fully charged, but Harry didn't need full strength for what he had to do. He would probably never need his full strength until the day he killed Voldemort. He wrapped himself in every shield he knew and cast a few more from his wand.

He found them in the orchard huddled together discussing the last minute details of the plan. He created two concentric cones of power around him and added a silencing charm to the area. The outer cone surrounded the Death Eaters and gave some room to fight. The inner cone followed Harry protecting him from them. The wedding festivities would not be disturbed by what happened here today. It was time to send a message to Voldemort that he was not the only player in this game.

"Thinking of crashing a party are we?" He dropped the sound shield but kept the sight and psychic shields. His voice dripped hatred.

"Who's there, show yourself and we may spare you!" The leader shouted, already spooked.

Harry kept moving so they wouldn't even get him with a lucky shot.

"Why would I believe you? You were about to attack a wedding full of innocent people, some of them children. Would you have spared them?"

"Don't make us hunt you down, we'll kill you slowly!"

"No, I don't think so. I'll tell you what. Drop your wands on the ground and surrender now and I will spare YOU. You have ten seconds before I have to kill you."

"You are only one man, there are twelve of us. Accio Invisibility Cloak!"

"Wrong answer." Harry dropped to a kneeling stance and sent out the cutting wire spell at knee height. He sent it fast and wide in a full circle around him. The Death Eaters fell to the ground screaming and clutching what was left of their legs.

"Accio Wands. My how the tables have turned. Your legs have been severed and you are now bleeding from two major arteries. You have less than three minutes to live. Is there anything you would like to say?"

"You'll pay when the ministry finds out about this. You can't just murder a dozen people."

"But you can? That's a real hypocritical statement. Besides," Harry dropped the sight shield and became visible again a truly evil grin on his face, "Who said the ministry would ever find your bodies?"

He silenced them all so he wouldn't have to listen to their screams as he used his jewels to rip through their minds seeking information.

"Don't worry. I will give your families the same warning you gave mine. None at all. Well, if this is to be your funeral, I suppose the niceties must be observed."

"Lord, we commend these souls unto you for judgment. They were right bastards in life and we pray they get exactly what they deserve after death. Amen."

When each death eater died, he used a puff of power to shred their minds ensuring they could not remain as ghosts. It wouldn't do to be caught because a ghost led people to where the bodies were buried after all. He used craft to pass their bodies deep into the earth and cast a quick Evanesco to get rid of any blood.

It was time to return to the party.

* * *

Harry was still riding the killing edge when he returned to the party. He moved softly and silently through the crowds to find Ginny talking to Gabrielle and Hermione. He didn't even stop to say hello. He just grabbed her and pulled her into a passionate kiss, his male instincts at an all time high.

"Merlin! That looked like some kiss. Are you alright?" Hermione asked as Harry left without a word. A stunned and glassy eyed Ginny watched him go.

His instincts were screaming at him. They demanded either blood or sex and he had just walked away from a woman. He was valiantly fighting his instincts however. These were his friends, or at least friends of friends. He couldn't explode here, and he wouldn't pressure Ginny for anything, not in this state. The monster inside wanted out.

He had an epiphany. Yarbarah might slake his thirst for blood, or if he drank enough of it might sedate him while the worst passed. The energy boost would be welcome too. He hadn't fought long, but those few spells were draining, especially the cone shaped shields.

His glass was already full and rotating over a ball of fire as he approached a table of goblins. Goblins were notoriously unsocial when it came to wizards, he hoped they would not feel the need to converse right now but felt the need to follow protocol. At least they would not be hostile to his presence.

"Greetings my fine sirs. Do you mind if I sit here while I have my drink?" He asked, forgetting his translation spells were still up. Speaking politely and in perfect Gobbledygook was not the way to get Goblins to ignore you. It was probably the best way to get them to pay attention to you in fact.

One of the better dressed Goblins sniffed the air and smiled with a gleam in his eye.

"You seem stressed Mr. Potter, is there anything wrong? And do you mind if I ask why you seem to be drinking something mixed with human blood?"

"I didn't realize your sense of smell was that acute. Very well, I shall tell you. The tide is turning gentlemen. The second war against Voldemort has reached a turning point. The war is beginning to end."

"Really, I have heard of nothing that would signify such a change."

"Less than half an hour ago, this party was attacked by a dozen Death Eaters. I will no longer stand aside and act only on the defensive. I dealt with them quickly but my instincts still crave blood. I am very angry they would do such a thing as to attack a wedding party. I am hoping this will calm me down so I can enjoy the rest of the day."

"I never noticed an attack, nor heard sounds of fighting." One of the other Goblins spoke up.

"Did any of you see the wards when you came here today? I must say they were some of the finest I've seen outside of Gringotts. Twenty minutes ago, the ward that should have alerted everyone if someone unwelcome entered the property was broken." He laid his captured wands on the table. "There is no need to worry, it has been dealt with."

The well dressed Goblin took control of the situation again. "So tell me Mr. Potter, if you believe that the war has turned, what do you intend to do?"

"It has turned only because the Death Eaters and Voldemort are cowards and someone has decided to go on the offensive. They are all to willing to kill and torture. They are deathly afraid of being killed or tortured. Now that the war is two sided, it is almost over." A plan took form in Harry's head, time to see if he could play politics. "Personally I think things are just about to get interesting economically and I look forward to making a killing."

"Why do you think that?"

"It's simple really. When I was in that graveyard at the end of the Tri-Wizard tournament, I heard the names of some of the older and more influential families. Since then I have learned of others. When those families that support Voldemort fall, it will create quite a flurry over who gets that money and influence. May I make an example?"

"Certainly, I think I like where this is going."

"Lucius Malfoy died last month. His son Draco, heir to the Malfoy name and fortune, is very much like his father. They both had the dark mark burned into their arms by Voldemort. Narcissa Malfoy is the only surviving member or heir of the Black and Lestrange families thanks to her sister dying with Lucius. If Draco dies without issue, the Malfoy name and fortune reverts to Narcissa too. Unfortunately for Narcissa, she also supports Voldemort in his little crusade. If Narcissa Malfoy dies after Draco dies, we would need to find an Heir wouldn't we. Narcissa's fortune, titles and influence would follow the Black line of succession. I am the only heir to the last male bearing the Black family name."

"Ah, convenient for you, but you overlooked something."

"You are of course referring to the fact that if I killed them, or was in any way connected to their deaths, I would not inherit a single knut."

"Of course."

"But IF Draco died without children, and IF Narcissa died last, and IF they could not prove I was involved, I would be very wealthy. I would control the Potter, Black, Lestrange, and Malfoy fortunes, businesses, and titles. I say again, I am quite looking forward to making a killing in this war. And then of course, any other families that perished without Heirs would find their businesses destabilized, at which point they may be bought out with a minimum of fuss and struggle. If someone were to know that the business world was going to be slightly unstable until Christmas and then see a massive surge in trading, they could be prepared. If they knew that a great many blocks of stock and assets were to be sold off in the New Year, they could find themselves riding a tidal wave of wealth into the future. Mark my words; this war is going to see some reorganizations in the Wizarding World."

The Goblins all smiled. Life was getting interesting.

"What do you know Mr. Potter?"

"I know that this Halloween will be a very interesting day to read the newspaper. The wise will be ready before then."

* * *

That night found Harry traveling around England finishing the job he had started in the Orchard. He rode the winds or apperated to the homes of each of the men from the woods. He pinged their homes and searched all the scents within for the taint of corruption and evil. A message had to be sent. Any innocent, and there were a few mostly young children, were stunned by their invisible and silent attacker before being carried off the grounds. Then at each and every home he did the same thing.

A ring of power flared around the darkened home, silencing what was to come. A young man gathered all of his strength and cast a single spell through both his Jewels and wand with only one intent, Justice.

"Ignis Draconis" The dragon's breath spell turned a wand into a flame thrower the power of which scaled with the wielder's own power. With the power of the Black behind him, it was as if there were several angry dragons. Entire houses disappeared within seconds and left only ash.

It was very tempting to visit a certain home in Wiltshire but patience was a virtue to the wise man.

On each doorstep, where stone drives used to meet the houses, a waterproof and fire proof parchment was laid. All of the parchments said the same thing, five simple words.

"No one interrupts a wedding."

As he left, he made sure to wipe any traces of his wand's signature from the area. He couldn't do anything about his psychic scent or conceal that powerful magic had been done, but he hoped he could prevent them from proving it was him. Suspicions were fine, he wanted them to know. He also didn't want them to be able to prove it.

* * *

At dawn Harry woke Lucy and Hermione and told them it was time to leave. Hermione once again came to collect the ritual components and trying to decipher how it all worked.

After they emerged from the gate near the hall, Harry turned to Lucille.

"Tell them I am going to the cottage, I am exhausted. I need to regain my strength and control my mind."


	13. Aftermath

Disclaimer; Not mine yadda yadda yadda belongs to Bishop and Rowling yadda yadda yadda….

/_Hurray for mind powers. _/

* * *

Harry was alone and cold, every muscle in his body ached and he hadn't eaten in four days. It would have been simple to cast a warming spell, or prepare some of the food that was waiting in the cupboards. It would have been even easier to sleep in the soft comfortable bed instead of on the hard, rough wood floor.

But Harry didn't think he deserved it. He was a murderer, and he hated himself for it. The fates of men in the woods that was an act of war. He didn't like it, but he felt deep within him that they made their choices. What he did after would never leave him alone and he knew it. That had been murder. He could hear now the screams he couldn't then as souls writhed in agony, being burned alive. The faces of men and women swam in his mind accusing him.

He was a monster. He knew which side those people would have been on, he didn't have any doubts, but what disturbed him was that he didn't give them the chance to surrender or even face an honorable death. He had murdered them in their sleep.

Another part of his mind argued. This was war, those people chose the wrong side. They would have been happy to kill you or your friends. You just brought the fight to them early. Voldemort did this. He started this war, he spread the hatred, he corrupted people. Harry was just acting to cleanse the wizarding world, to make it safe for everyone. But what gave him the right? Who put him in charge of who lived or died?

He tried to eat once or twice. He knew he needed strength, that the war was only beginning. His body always rejected the food however, and the spasms of his revolted stomach only made him weaker. The bile tore at his throat and burned his mouth. He didn't care. It was only what he deserved. He could only sip water, and not too much.

He collapsed mid morning on the fifth day, his body no longer able to take the punishment of the constant physical exercise without food.

* * *

Moments after he collapsed, Jaenelle was in the room. She gathered him in her arms and they rode the winds back to the Hall. She called Karla in from Glacia to help hold the healing web. It was hard work healing a body whose spirit is unwilling. They held his spirit in the healing webs for almost a week before they allowed him to drift back towards consciousness.

There was music playing. He heard a harp, and a piano. There were two voices unlike any he had heard before singing words he would never know. The words he could not understand tore away at his spirit.

He saw again each of the men he had killed. He saw the houses burning. He felt the fear, anger, pain, and loneliness of the past week. As each new scene and sensation passed through him, the music grew louder in his ears. His mental and emotional wounds were reopened, bled clean, and began to heal. It would be a long time before he was healed, but he could start the process.

As the voices ceased their singing, he woke up. The piano and harp were still playing, but he could tell the song was ending. The room was dark, lit only by a small fire in the hearth.

"Thank you." He breathed, unsure if there was really anyone there. A few moments later, he heard the door click closed and a voice came from across the room near the fire.

"It never really goes away." Saetan's voice. He must be in one of the chairs with his back to Harry. "You will always remember them. The only thing you can do is celebrate the life of those still living. What happened?"

"They attacked a wedding." His voice was dead and flat. He spoke as if he was not involved. "There were no survivors. The families who supported it were hunted down as well. Thirty two people will never see another sunrise. Twenty of them never knew their time was up, dead in their sleep."

"Lucy told us something happened, but she didn't know what. And she never will. Does anyone really know?"

"No, and they never will either. It is my burden now. I murdered people, I am responsible for new orphans. I was an orphan, and now I have made more." Harry moved to take the other chair near the fire, and stared into the flames.

"I understand I have similar burdens. As do most of us here. Life is not gentle. Sometimes those that love the most get hurt the worst."

"I was like you once. All I wanted was a family to love and a place to call home. When I began wearing the Black jewels everyone feared me. My responsibility to the world became so great that I couldn't really settle down. My marriage was a disaster of untold proportions. Millions of people have died and the people I love the most suffered untold horrors because I chose the wrong woman to love."

"I am sorry. I think I can understand."

"No, you can't, and I hope you never will. Yes, people close to you will get hurt because of your choices. It is the same with everyone; your choices just have a more sweeping effect. Wearing and using the Black Jewels is a burden only we can truly understand. It is an obligation to the world to do what is right no matter the consequences. I forgot that one time and it has haunted me ever since."

"May I ask what happened?"

"The only reason I am telling you is in hopes you don't repeat my mistake. I married a witch named Hekatah. I thought she loved me. She loved my power and influence, and used my desire for love and a family to exercise it as her own. Eventually her schemes went too far. I killed her and everyone in the territory in one night. The territory no longer exists except as a memory to a handful of people. My biggest mistake was that although I killed her, I didn't have the guts to kill her spirit too. My love and my honor made me think she was no longer a threat. I could not sacrifice my honor to do what needed to be done."

"Over the next several thousand years, she whispered lies and half truths in the ears of people who were greedy and thirsty for power. She helped them meet each other and take power. She masterminded and orchestrated the worst reign of terror the universe has ever seen. Your Voldemort is nothing in the great scheme of things. People lived their entire lives in fear of saying the wrong thing and dying because of it. Millions of people over thousands of years. In the end, her corruption and hatred covered the entire realm of Terriele and was beginning to infect Kaleer before Jaenelle and Daemon silenced it forever. Terriele is like an empty shell now. Almost the entirety of the Blood are now dead, there is only about one person out of a hundred still alive and most of those are concentrated in two or three territories. There are no dark jewels left at all."

"I killed an entire world because I could not look beyond myself and what I thought was honorable. She was corrupt and needed to die, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Your power is not really yours. It belongs to your world, and you are the proxy. It has been given to you to control for now so you can correct the problems you are all facing."

"I never realized that being honorable and noble could be a bad thing. I didn't know that doing the right thing may require doing what seems wrong first."

"It took me my entire life to learn that lesson, please think about it. Remember it. The Black jewels are not yours. The power is not yours. The price of wielding them is to love everyone enough to do what has to be done."

The two sat in silence for a long time, watching the flames and remembering what they had lived. They never discussed it, but they both knew there was a bond between them now. They had someone who understood what it meant to be them. Two men found something they had long wanted that night.

* * *

A/N; Yes it is too short for a true chapter, but this needed to be done and would not have fit with any other chapter. The mood and theme is not something I can just drop into some other chapter as a side scene, and there isn't a good way to flesh out such an intensely emotional thing to a full three to five thousand words. I have never killed but I know it would destroy me inside. I tried to capture some of that but I know it isn't even close.

I'll take the time here to address some of the common comments I receive. Yes, Harry is different now. He is growing and changing, and his personality is going to reflect that. The biggest change in his personality we have seen in the last few chapters. The SaDiablo family just accepted him, no strings. Why? Because they understand what he is going through and they want to help. They took him in, felt sympathetic to him for some things and kicked the crap out of him for others. Daemon accepted and felt sympathetic for the abuse and loneliness of an orphan, but couldn't care less about his unwillingness to use "dark magic". Daemon already knew the war wasn't going to be won with stunning spells and tickling charms, and he forced Harry to confront that.

The SaDiablo family became a real family to him. And a real family can change you. Lucy and Jaenelle ground him and remind him to be mischievous and have fun. Daemon helps him understand women and what it means to be at war. Saetan is almost grandfatherly in his advice and wants him to be successful. Lucivar gave him what he wanted and is making him regret asking for it. This is what family does, and is doing for him. For the first time he has people who don't care about the "boy who lived" nonsense and outstrip him in fame and wealth. They treat him as an equal because that's how they see him.

The wizarding world so far has yet to really care about Harry. He has a few friends like the rest of Ministry Six (Luna, Neville, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione), but most people don't care about him as a person. They want someone to defeat Voldemort, they want an icon, but they don't want Harry as a person. With the exception of those few people, no one honestly gives a crap what is going to happen when Voldemort dies. They are going to move on with their lives.

Everyone has been happy to teach Harry new combat spells and give him pointers on how to dodge and roll, so long as those spells weren't "dangerous". But who is teaching him how to manage his finances? Who is teaching him all the many things he needs to know about his life? No one has been. When the war is over, they are hoping for a martyr. Throw a party, cry a few tears and move on. They certainly don't want someone dangerous enough and powerful enough to take out Voldemort to still be around. It might damage their own power…

The SaDiablo Family on the other hand is helping him prepare for after the war too. The lessons in love, politics, and just plain fun magic (Yay Lucy and Jaenelle!) are what he is really getting out of this. Harry is not just a weapon, he is a person and the wizarding world needs to wake up.

Finally, yes this is a Harry/Ginny fic. I am sorry, but that was made the Canon choice in HBP and I am going to use it. Romance isn't my strong suit so we won't see a lot on screen as it were, but it will be there. We will see more mischief, mayhem, and life than we will romance. War too, we will see war.


	14. Welcome Home

Disclaimer; If you didn't read the others why are you reading this one?

/_Ditto._ /

A/N; I just want to thank again all my reviewers. I appreciate that you are giving me feedback and enjoying the story. I keep hearing from the same two or three of you and want to thank you guys.

* * *

"But Harry, why do we have to ride several hours on a train to get to Hogwarts? We could ride the winds and be there in minutes." Lucy asked as they arrived on platform 9 ¾ on September first. 

"It's tradition. Everyone rides the Hogwarts express. It gives everyone a chance to meet up with their friends again and talk about their summers. I also have things I have to do here since I am head boy."

"Ok, I suppose. And then I can see more of the country instead of just popping around everywhere."

"Good, now would you like me to introduce you to some people and find you a place to sit or would you prefer to meet people on your own?"

"I think I can find somewhere to sit on my own, I'll go meet some of the other new students."

"Great, that's the way to get a good start. A lot of friendships start on the first train to Hogwarts. You can always call for me if you need me, but remember the words 'dark' and 'blood' mean different things here. Use 'powerful' and 'wizards' instead. Let's try to avoid making people think you are evil, that's for the Slytherin house."

"I will try."

"And no magic that uses blood where others can see!"

"Do you think I forgot?"

"Get going Rascal. I'll see you later."

Harry walked around the platform for a bit, chatting with one group of students or another. If his hearing wasn't trying to trick him he would either need to watch out for love potions again or else stop wearing nice clothes. The sighing and giggles were annoying. 'Oh well, they will change their tunes soon enough,' he thought.

The whistle blew announcing that the train would be leaving in five minutes. Harry quickly found Neville and Luna and asked that they save room for the others in their compartment.

* * *

"…And those are the changes to the prefect handbook you need to know about for this year. The passwords to the common rooms are all in the envelopes in front of you. Are there any questions?" Hermione was taking charge in the prefect meeting, her love of rules and order being exactly what was needed. Harry was happy to let her lead in those areas, he had other specialties. 

No one asked any questions and some looked ready to leave. Parkinson seemed to have been ignoring everyone. Harry decided to flex his muscles a little bit before he let everyone go.

"Thank you Hermione. Now I have just a few last things to discuss with you all before we let you go. I shouldn't have to say this but you all are prefects you were chosen to be the leaders of the students and role models. They should be able to look up to you and want to emulate your actions. In the past, I have seen some prefects abuse their power, ignore their duties, or even harass students from Houses other than their own. This attitude ends now. You are in a position of responsibility, act like it. Inter-House rivalry is acceptable in some ways; it gives students something to be proud of. But there will be no more open hostilities. No one house is better than any other. It took all four founders to build this school. You don't have to like the other houses, but you will be civil to their students."

"Who do you think you are Potter? It's not like you are perfect." Pansy sneered.

"No, far from it, but I am head boy. I no longer have a House, I claim all Houses. If I see any prefects, no matter which House, causing unrest or making hurtful comments I will go to the Headmistress and their Head of House. I am looking at you Gryffindor and Slytherin. I happen to be on good terms with all four Heads now that Snape is gone, murderous bastard that he was."

"Also, we've got an interesting batch of first years this year. Not all of them are from England and some might need additional help adjusting. Keep an eye on them, some might need more help than others. I will be offering some study sessions this year for interested students. If you know of any second years or maybe third that are having a lot of trouble, recommend that they come. The sessions will be focused on helping them understand magic and teaching different ideas that might help them learn new spells faster. They're going to be a lot of fun and everyone is invited, but I think the first and second years will benefit the most. That's all I have to say for now, enjoy the rest of the journey and have a great year."

Harry and Hermione dismissed the prefects and most left happy the meeting was finally over. Hermione had perhaps rambled a bit longer than necessary, but he wasn't going to stop her and ruin her pride at such a prestigious position. And he certainly wouldn't undermine her in front of the prefects. Harry saw Hannah Abbot approaching as the others filed out.

"Hello Harry. Congratulations on becoming Head Boy. I liked what you said about House rivalry, I wish others thought like you. Are these study sessions of your going to be anything like the DA was? That was a lot of fun."

"Hey, I thought you wouldn't be back this year. I was worried about you. No these are going to be very different. I will be teaching some of the things I learned from teaching the DA, talking with Dumbledore, and teaching a few others over the years. I know for a fact I will be teaching magic that has never been performed within the halls of Hogwarts, and I hope to learn a few things in return. Professor McGonagall was really interested in some of the things I will try to teach."

"Well, when my mother died, it was really rough for my family. Eventually we decided that in times like these education is the best thing we can have. I am repeating my sixth year. There were rumors that you weren't coming back either. Those lessons sound interesting. New magic you say? I might come myself."

"We'd love to have you. Yeah, I started those rumors. For a while they were true, but I eventually got my head on straight and decided I needed to do it. I will talk to you later; I've got to have a private talk with Hermione before we return to sit with our friends."

"Ok Harry, see you later!"

Harry waited for the other stragglers to leave before silencing the room and turning to Hermione.

"Take a seat Hermione, we need to have a talk. This is long overdue but I promised to do it before we got back to Hogwarts."

"Sure thing Harry, what do we need to talk about?"

"We need to talk about House Elves and SPEW. Let me ask you Hermione, which of your parents had the most impact on your sense of justice and liberty? If you could look proudly and say "My mother or father inspired me to found SPEW," which would you choose?"

"My father did, why?"

"What did his parents do if it isn't too much to ask? Why did he raise you with such a fine and strong moral compass?"

"His mother was a maid, and his father a chauffer to a rich family. Later in their life, when he was going to college and they were struggling to pay bills, the head of the family died and his replacement decided to fire them. My grandparents started working when it was a different time. When they were just tossed on the street, they were old and had almost no marketable skills. They were too proud to ask the government for help. My father struggled to help them, and promised himself he would always remember where he came from."

"Ah, this makes so much more sense now. Your grandparents were servants. Hermione, the House Elves asked me to talk to you after the wedding and I promised to do so before we got to Hogwarts. Now I understand why you and they have such a communication problem."

"There were House Elves at the wedding? Wait, you threw Mrs. Weasley out of the kitchen! You made the House Elves do the work! How could you?"

"Actually, it was an exchange of services. They are being paid in a fashion. Hermione, I didn't make them do anything. I asked them nicely. I told them I would do anything they wanted in return if they could help the Weasley family have just one perfect day. They were enthralled to be trusted with such a task. Do you know what they told me I had to do in return?"

"You know they only did it because they have been brain washed their entire lives! I can't believe you did that. What are you doing for them?"

"Talking to you. Hermione, you really need to understand something. Most House Elves are not enslaved. They are servants. Do you understand the difference?"

"What? There isn't a difference. They are doing all the work and not being paid, that is slavery."

"They choose to serve. They are proud to serve wizarding households and Hogwarts. Every time someone from the school or their family achieves something important they can say 'Look what we have done. We helped them achieve greatness.' Do yourself a favor, write your grandparents and talk to them about the heart and mind of a servant and then talk to some of the House Elves. You have been insulting them for the past couple years by trying to force clothes on them."

"But they're nothing like my Grandparents. They were at least paid."

"Am I a slave Hermione? Are you going to try to free me?"

"What? No of course not. Why would you say that?"

"Because I am just like them. I am in service to my Queen. I trained all summer to be a member of her Guard. I receive no pay for the work I do on her behalf. I spent an entire week scrubbing and cleaning one of the Queens cottages in the woods alone without magic. Right now I have agreed to a seven year service as Lucille's body guard and tutor. In reality, I have been paying her for the privilege to serve. I do consider it a privilege. I will be in her service my entire life if she will have me, or Lucy's. Like the Elves, this is my place. When Lucy comes home this summer and starts telling her mother and father all she has learned, I will look on and be proud to have been a small part of it. I would be insulted if someone, no matter how good their intentions were, told me I was brainwashed and tried to force me out of service."

"What do you mean you are paying her for the privilege?"

"At first, I paid Her and her Court for the training under their Master of the Guard, now I am paying for Lucille's tuition and books as well. I don't expect you to understand this all right now, but I ask you to talk to us and your grandparents and then think about what you want the goals of SPEW to be. I agree with the name, we should promote elfish welfare. No servant will say no to better conditions, but some might want to be fired from the only jobs they have ever known. Like your grandparents, they have no other marketable skills."

"I am still not happy with you, but because this is the only payment they will get for what they did at the Weasleys, I will think about it. They deserve someone to care about them and work for their protection. I will write the letter and talk to the Elves. Maybe someone can talk sense into them."

"I used to live at the Dursley's. I know the difference between service and slavery. I hope you can learn it in an easier fashion."

* * *

When they returned to the compartment Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna were in, they realized that it would be a bit cramped for six people, their luggage, and pets. Harry thought about it for a moment and decided now was the time to test the theories he was going to introduce in his lessons. 

"Alright guys, I've got a plan. Everybody out into the corridor. I'm going to try and expand the compartment a bit."

"Why do we need to leave for you to expand it?" Ron asked

"I've never cast this spell before. Am I the only one that remembers what can happen the first time I try a spell?" The compartment emptied in record time.

Harry studied the space, thought about how big he wanted it to be, and considered what he knew. He knew magic could be used to expand rooms. He knew the average witch or wizard should have enough power to accomplish what he wanted. He didn't know the incantation to do it, but then again he didn't know the incantation to inflate an idiotic Aunt either and he hadn't needed a wand for that. Willpower. Intent. Ability. He had them all, and most importantly he believed he could do it.

"Expand the room." He said in broken Latin while forcing his magic out of his wand. For a few seconds he only got sparks for his effort, but suddenly there was a bright flash that blinded him briefly and the room slowly grew in all its dimensions until he stopped feeding it power. He knew this was more power than he should have needed, and felt a little drained, but it held with what he had theorized so he wasn't worried.

"I'm glad I left, I wouldn't want to be on the other end of that flash." Ron joked, chuckling softly.

"I didn't recognize that spell, where did you find it?" Hermione asked.

"I'll tell you all about that and more in our first Theory of Magic lesson, but I don't want to get into a lecture on the train. Rest assured I will teach you that and more."

* * *

When the train pulled into Hogsmeade station, Harry told his friends he had something to do and moved to leave with the first years. 

"What's up mate?" Neville inquired.

"My little sister starts this year, so I am going to see her to the boats. I'll probably beat the rest of you to the castle though."

"Why is that?"

"I'm taking a shortcut." He grinned like a madman. Today began a new legend.

Harry introduced Hagrid to Lucy and accompanied the first years to the boats and waved them off. Once all the boats had left, Harry smiled. It was time for phase one of the greatest prank he had ever attempted.

Acting as if nothing at all was unusual, Harry used Jaenelle's air walking trick to walk across the surface of the lake over to the boat with Hagrid and Lucy in it. He waved to the others as he passed them, most looked at him with shock.

"Hagrid, I completely forgot to ask you something. Would you like to have tea with Lucy and I this weekend? We've got a friend you would like to meet I am sure."

"Harry… do you realize you are walking on water?" Hagrid asked as if realizing it would make him plummet to the murky depths.

"Yeah, I may not be Jesus, but I did spend a couple days in Hell before I came back to Earth. Saetan really doesn't deserve the reputation he gets; he's a great guy once you get past the tough exterior." Harry loved how he could tell the truth and lie at the same time. He had been to Hell after all it just didn't mean what everyone thought. "Well, see you all at the feast." He gave a cheeky grin and ran on ahead.

* * *

Harry met up with Kaelas outside the doors to the Great Hall. Kaelas was careful to stay invisible, not wanting to reveal his presence yet. Harry walked over to the Gryffindor table and Kaelas found a place to stretch on the wide beams in the rafters. They silently conferred on a shared prank against Lucy, and the plans for later. Hopefully they would get their chance, Kaelas approved highly and looked forward to it more than Harry. 

He smiled and waved to the few teachers already at the staff tables.

Harry smiled when his friends entered and took places near him, making sure to leave room for Lucy just in case. "I deny everything. The first years are lying."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing."

"So what shortcut did you use to get here ahead of everyone?"

"Like I said, I deny everything. Let's just say Dad would be proud if he were still alive."

And indeed, looking down from the great beyond James and Sirius shared a high five. The friends chatted companionably until Professor Flitwick brought the first years in.

"Shush, I want to watch my last sorting, especially considering who's being sorted."

The Sorting Hat opened its rip and began to sing, this year's song was one of hope and new beginnings. Harry was really beginning to wonder if the Hat could see the future.

"I wonder why it is so upbeat. Ever since Dumbledore died, the attacks have only got worse. Did you hear that a dozen attacks took place in one night?" Ron obviously hadn't made the connection, but then he didn't know of the first attack either. Harry wondered if the papers had mentioned his letters.

"Shush, it's starting."

"Angelline-SaDiablo, Lucille" Professor Flitwick called.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

That was his cue… Harry leapt to stand on top of the table and threw his head back just as Kaelas let out a craft enhanced roar of approval. The cheers from the Gryffindor table grew louder than he had ever remembered. Lucy was blushing fiercely, mischief managed.

"Thank you for that display of House pride, now may we get on with the sorting?" McGonagall looked amused.

"Sure."

"Thank you."

"Bishop, Anne"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Oh, I met her on the train," Lucy whispered from beside him, "She said she wants to be a writer."

"Really, does she have any ideas what she wants to write about?" Hermione was obviously interested in a budding author.

"No, but she seems to have a great imagination, I am sure she will find something. She was nice."

The sorting continued and Harry paid attention, looking for potential. Someone needed to replace him when he was gone, and he wanted to pick his new apprentices early. There was no guarantee he would find just one multi-faceted enough to be a prankster, a leader, and a trouble magnet. But again, someone had to do those jobs. "Matthews, Evan" became a Hufflepuff, as did "Jefferies, Adam". "Gregors, Cara" became the first Slytherin.

McGonagall stood for the opening announcements, "Welcome everyone to another year here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For those who don't know, I am Professor McGonagall and I am now the Headmistress. Professor Flitwick is now Deputy Headmaster. There are a few more announcements, but I will save the boring speeches for after you've eaten. Enjoy!" She clapped her hands and the food appeared.

* * *

"Now that everyone has had a chance to enjoy their meal, I will proceed to the other announcements. As some of our older students need constant reminders, The Forbidden Forest is so named for a reason. There is an extensive list of banned items…" 

McGonagall was silenced as the candles dimmed. Fiery letters began to form in the air as the teachers tried to un-silence her.

"Messrs. Padfoot, Moony, and Prongs (who are going to kill that sneaky rat Wormtail) are proud to interrupt this message for an important announcement. The eternal cycle has begun anew. We would like to introduce the next generation, Messrs. Tundros and Shadow and the wonderful Miss Snow and Miss Flutter-bee. The Manor of Mischief is now open. Enemies of the Heirs beware!"

It was a very impressive effort for Harry and Lucy to keep their amusement off their faces. Fear and shock played out on the faces of the older teachers. The letters dissolved in sparks and McGonagall regained her voice.

"If you reprobates are quite finished…"

"Go on." The letters responded.

"There is an extensive list of items our Caretaker Mr. Filch has seen fit to ban over the years."

"Most from our good friends at Zonko's, Gambol and Japes, or the geniuses at Triple W."

"The list can be viewed at Mr. Filch's office. Now, we are pleased to welcome Professor Moody to the post as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Some of you may remember the imposter we had impersonate him a few years ago, but we assure you that this is the real Alastor Moody. Additionally there will be a new set of lessons this year taught by our Head Boy, Harry Potter. Mr. Potter is offering lessons in the nature and theory of magic for any students who wish to attend. It isn't mandatory, but he believes that it will be beneficial for first and second years to attend. He will cover how and why magic works in addition to teaching new spells and techniques he has found to make learning easier. These lessons will start next Saturday after lunch and will be weekly unless there is a Hogsmeade visit."

"If the prefects will take the first years to the Common Rooms, I would like to speak to Mr. Potter in my office."

* * *

"Mr. Potter…" McGonagall began. 

"Harry, please."

"Mr. Potter," She restated, "a number of highly unusual things have occurred tonight."

"I may have noticed one or two." He admitted with a cheeky grin.

"Let's start at the earliest. Would you care to explain your unusual arrival at the school this evening?"

"I arrived on the train with everyone else. I went to see Lucy off on the boats, then felt like a bit of exercise so I walked to the castle. It's not that hard to understand."

"Walked indeed Mr. Potter. And what is this I am hearing about going to Hell and meeting Saetan?"

"Hagrid never could keep his mouth shut. Yes, I made a few field trips this summer in my attempts to learn rare and new magics. Saetan taught me a lot of things and took care of me through some hard times. He only ever taught me one spell though. If it is any help, I also went to the Realm of Light, bit empty."

"Are you going to share that story?"

"I'd really rather not."

"Now would you care to explain walking across the surface of the lake?"

"It was the most direct route from where the boats launched to the castle."

"You are avoiding the questions."

"You aren't asking the right ones."

"There is another matter that we encountered early on. It seems that the House Elves were unable to locate your luggage or Miss SaDiablo's."

"That's because we carried it with us."

"Neither of you were seen to carry trunks into the castle."

"And yet we did. Funny that."

"You are enjoying this far too much."

"And you too little. Such a shame."

"We will skip your display of pride and enthusiasm. What do you know about this 'Manor of Mischief 'we heard about?"

"To be honest, I probably know this castle better than anyone since the Founders. I know the secret passages and secret rooms. I've spent a lot of time out of bounds after hours in my seven years here. I even found the Chamber of Secrets. I do not believe the Manor exists." He mentally added a 'yet' here. "Furthermore I swear on my magic I don't know where it is." But he had a few ideas where it was going to be.

"And what do you know of the Marauders?"

"They are a secret society responsible for pulling pranks and spreading mayhem. The last incarnation was during my parent's time at school when Voldemort was on the rise. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew used the aliases Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. The Marauders have traditionally all been Animagus but the inclusion of Moony leads me to suspect that it is not a prerequisite."

"Traditionally?"

"The Marauders of Hogwarts are a group that date back to the Founders and four of their original students," and the Great Prank began, Harry hoped she didn't know legimancy like Dumbledore, "I don't know how exactly they are chosen, but it seems that every time the wizarding world has undergone a period of chaos and fear, four people begin anonymously sowing mischief. Sirius speculated that Hogwarts itself chose these students to represent the original four. James Potter was as much a true Gryffindor as I according to Sirius. Moony was as bookish as Hermione or Rowena Ravenclaw. Regardless of how recent history has painted him, Sirius Black was loyal and friendly. And Peter Pettigrew was a devious conniving bastard. Oh, sorry Professor."

"You seem to know a lot about them. Do you have anything you would like to confess since you are spilling secrets?"

"Sirius and Remus told me a lot about them and gave me the books that record their history and how their pranks were accomplished."

"I will skip the obvious question here, you would either lie or avoid it. You mentioned that they have all been Animagus except for Lupin. Do you know of any other animagus in my school Mr. Potter? It would seem there is at least one I do not know about, though I have my suspicions given who have shown the necessary skill and power."

"I know of one." He admitted. "And I am offended by your lack of faith."

"I will ask again. Is there anything you would like to confess?"

"Not particularly, but to put your mind at ease about your choice for Head Boy, I swear on my magic I am not an unregistered animagus." 'After all, I registered all the markings and my abilities with Jaenelle and Saetan before I left. That slip of paper with the SaDiablo seal may be worth something yet…'

McGonagall relaxed, but only a little. Anyone could see that he knew more than he was telling. "That's two Wizard's Oaths you have sworn to me tonight. Why do I still not trust you?"

"How about I make it three and see if it helps. I swear on my magic if I discover a student cast that message I will turn them in to you." He would too. He spent a lot of time teaching Hedwig how to spell that message and he would be severely disappointed if Lucy wasted his efforts.

"Hmm… Nope, I still don't trust you. Would you care to cast a spell for me?"

"Lumos, Yep my magic still works so I must have told you the truth."

"The truth can still leave so much unsaid Mr. Potter and I am beginning to see you are more like your father every year. For some reason I don't think this will be the last conversation I have with you. Very well, you may go and I will see you in Transfiguration."

Lo and behold, McGonagall was right. It was to be the first of many conversations that made the teachers wonder if his Wizard's Oaths were actually any good at all.


	15. Time to Travel

Disclaimer; Do I honestly need to keep telling you people that I don't own these characters?

/_ Ah, fudge it you know what this means._ /

A/N; Cheers to everyone who noticed the Cameo last Chapter. I wonder if she will ever find anything to write about?

* * *

Harry grinned when he got his class schedule the next morning. Normally, potions first thing on a Monday morning was a very bad thing, but what he was grinning about his afternoon. He had DADA with Moody immediately after lunch. He was pleasantly surprised to learn Lucy had him right after breakfast.

A quick mind chat later and Operation Constant Vigilance was a go for launch. Little did he suspect that Lucy was modifying the plan on her mother's orders. He should have known better than to trust the Lady or the Coven with details of his plans.

* * *

Harry and Hermione arrived on time for Potions, but Ron was a tad slow wanting to catch the last bacon wrapped bread rolls at breakfast. He entered just as Professor Slughorn was about to close the door. They took their seats and got out all the usual supplies, anxious to learn what potions they would be brewing this year. Harry was particularly interested as many of the NEWT standard potions would be useful in his… other pursuits.

They had just begun discussing the term long project of brewing Felix Felicia (they weren't expected to succeed it was explained, but they were expected to learn), when a loud roar and loud shrieks of fear echoed down into the dungeon.

Harry smiled, Operation Constant Vigilance was underway and on schedule. His smile quickly disappeared however and was replaced by fear when he saw himself enter the class room and ask the Professor if he could deliver a message. After looking between the two Harry's Slughorn eventually agreed.

Harry tried to probe his doppelganger and discover who was impersonating him only to find himself in a very familiar mind. His own.

"Miss Flutter-bee wishes to inform Mr. Tundros that his plan was a success and she looks forward to sharing pensieve memories at his earliest convenience. Thank you for you time." The doppelganger held his hands towards the ceiling and chanted a few words before being consumed in flames of the purest white, leaving nothing at all behind.

The rest of the class looked at Harry for an explanation.

"Don't look at me I don't know either yet. Given what I do know however, I am probably going to have some fun with a time turner and learn some new spells soon."

"Why would you say that Mr. Potter?" Professor Slughorn was both impressed and concerned.

"Because I don't know why I was just here. I don't know what that message means. I most certainly don't know what that spell I cast was or where I went. What I DO know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that was me who just entered the classroom. I only know one way to be in two places at once and it involves a time turner."

"How are you so sure? And you sound as if you are speaking from experience with the time turner comment."

"Would you believe me if I claimed Legimancy? I refuse to confirm or deny any and all accusations of illicit time travel or changing the past for personal gain."

"That sounds like a story Mr. Potter, we'll have to sit down over a few glasses of mead someday. That get together we had last year at Hagrid's was interesting, I hope we can repeat it without the sad circumstances."

"Maybe later. Let's get back to the lesson. Did I ever tell you that vial of Felix you gave me last year saved mine and my friends lives? I am looking forward to learning."

* * *

At the end of the class, Harry came to talk to Professor Slughorn, "Professor, I have a free period now and if you aren't too busy, I would like to talk to you about the two of us having a bit of a business arrangement."

"What did you have in mind? By the way, what did you need all that niello for? That is not a common alloy, it hasn't seen much use since the days of Rome."

"All I will say on that is that if you ever see what I used it for you will know. If you do, I advise you to run screaming in the other direction as fast as you can. Anyway, back to business."

"I want to take advantage of your status as a Potions Master. I have learned quite a few interesting new potions this past summer, some of which drift into alchemy instead of pure potions. Now I know they are safe as I have used them myself and learned them from another Mistress. Where it gets sticky is that her status as such isn't recognized in Britain. I want to patent these potions and sell them or their recipes. I think they could be a great influx of new thought and a good money maker."

"Why do you need my help then? It sounds like you have everything planned out."

"Well like I said, she isn't recognized as a Potions Mistress in Britain or on the continent. To patent a new potion it seems you need a Master or Mistress to at least sign off on it. What I am proposing is that you and I "discover" all these potions again and split the profits. My name and my Mistress's on the patent, your seal of approval, and we work out a percentage that will keep you comfortable in retirement once the War is over and it is safe to go home. Think of the headlines we could make together."

"Well, we will have to perform at least some tests of course, but for say twenty percent of the profits I think we can work on some of them outside of classes."

"I was thinking more like ten."

"Fifteen? But I want full rights to any derivative works I find on my own."

"Oh, I don't know about the rights. Well I suppose, but there are two that we will want to keep at least partial credit on."

"Two of the more recreational ones I'll bet? They must be something very profitable, or very easily modified, yet previously unknown."

"Something like that yes. Mostly the potions I am thinking of are healing potions, but those two are indeed recreational or at least partially so. One is a very powerful stimulant that I think would be invaluable to law enforcement. The other is a drink. This new drink is an alchemical potion combining certain herbal effects, alcohol, and magic. I quite enjoy it, but changing the herb mixture would change the effects of the beverage and therefore break the patent."

"What it so great about the stimulant?"

"Imagine a stimulant so powerful that if you kept taking a dose every six hours you could stay awake and not even want to sleep for weeks before your body became saturated… Imagine that it tastes good. Imagine now, that it is safe for those with hear conditions or the elderly. Finally, imagine it is not habit forming. Unlimited energy to do whatever, with the only downside of deeper longer sleep when it wears off."

"It could be profitable indeed, but I shudder to consider it on the open market. That one will be restricted for sure, but will still sell in its proper uses. Do let me know how it works out with the time turner will you?"

"You'll be among the first to know."

* * *

Lucille smirked to herself as she headed off to her first ever lesson at Hogwarts, and coincidently to perform a prank she had been planning since she learned she was actually going to come. She liked what Harry told her about the Marauders and decided she was going to be the best one ever. And today she would prove it.

She ducked into a quiet alcove and pulled out the small wood box her mother had made for her. Inside, nestled gently among wood shavings were four clay balls enchanted with two spells each. The first spell made a shadow, an illusion that looked human and could be used like a puppet remotely. The second was a carefully designed tangled web with meant to be used against one person. She removed one of the balls and activated the spells.

When she left the alcove she was accompanied by Harry Potter. She and Harry-clone walked up to the locked door with a group of students outside. She silently unlocked the door with craft and Harry-clone ushered everyone inside. He put his finger to his lips and moved into a corner behind the teachers desk where he promptly disappeared.

Lucy smiled knowingly as people began to whisper and wonder. Not many knew of the connection between her and Harry yet. She had gone to bed before he returned to the common room, so the other first years didn't know.

Moody stomped into the classroom and gave a everyone a stern and searching look before setting his books down.

"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts. I am Professor Moody, your instructor. When I am done with you, I expect you to be able to identify a hostile situation, asses the threat, and know how to react. No one expects a first year to be able to handle themselves in a fight, it would be a most unreasonable thing to expect. What I want you to do is know when a fight is about to break out, whether the people around you can handle it, and when to cut your losses and run."

"The best way to accomplish all three of these things is…"

Kaelas chose that moment to drop the sight shield and leap from the ceiling at the Professor with a roar of challenge. Everyone but Moody and Lucy screamed.

Moody shot off a stunner which just bounced off of Kaelas' shield. Kaelas hit him like a load of bricks and almost a thousand pounds of pure Acerian Cat muscle bore him down onto the floor. Lucy leaped onto his back and put her arms around his throat just as he pretended to attack Moody's throat. She wrestled with the monstrously large cat for a few moments, pushing him towards the corner with a Harry clone. He turned invisible again and stalked away.

"Bad Kitty! Are you alright Professor? You could have been hurt! Harry always said I needed Constant Vigilance, but I never knew it would come in handy like that!"

"He did, did he? Boy must have finally learned something." The gruff man replied with a hint of respect. It wasn't clear who he was respecting, but it was there.

"Oh, I would say I've learned a few tricks." Harry-clone said as the invisibility over his corner dropped. "Enjoy your lessons everybody and pay attention. This man is one of the best!" He said as he waved smugly and left the class.

Excellent, part one revised completed, now to send the clone to Potions to deliver a message and self destruct. The tangled web Jaenelle had wove should insure that any of Harry's probes were deflected back into his own mind. She wondered what Harry would think of her new prank, and whether he would ever figure it out.

* * *

Harry found her at lunch that day, "We need to talk, after dinner, I will tell you where later."

"Ok Harry," she said, smiling innocently.

* * *

Harry's own DADA lesson and prank did not go as smoothly. Since he knew Harry would be in the class, Moody was waiting for everyone outside the door and wouldn't open it until he was there. Fortunately Harry heard Moody before he came around the corner. He wrapped a sight shield around him and silenced his footsteps.

After the last bell, Moody grudgingly opened the door but only allowed one person through at a time. He was trying to make sure Harry couldn't get in undetected. Harry fortunately had other ideas, and craft made them possible. He held his breath and hoped he didn't screw up as he passed his body through the stone wall into the classroom.

He came out the other side dusty and gritty, and just a little sore. Passing objects and nonliving matter through solid object is one thing. Sending living flesh through stone was something else entirely. It wasn't comfortable.

Harry retired to his corner (the same one the clone had used earlier strangely) and waited for the inevitable. Moody let all the students in eventually, and immediately locked the door with both key and spell

"Granger, where's Potter?"

"I don't know sir, he stopped after Potions to talk to Professor Slughorn."

"Ah, had to apologize for being late did he?"

"No sir, we were the first two students there."

"Really, did he ever leave your sight?"

"No, why?"

"Nothing."

While Hermione and Moody were having their chat about the whereabouts of someone standing not ten feet away, that person was trying to liberate Moody's wands. After probing the area, he found that his clothes had almost know psychic scent implying they were new, but he apparently had three wands. One tucked into his belt. Another was placed in his boot, and the last was in a wand holster on his arm.

The first two he liberated with no problem but that holster was giving him problems. He found he couldn't summon it, he couldn't levitate it, and he couldn't hit him with a disarming jinx because he wasn't wielding it. Then it hit him. Wizards were hopeless with logic.

"Accio wand holster!"

Moody grasped desperately for one of his back up wands, which were no longer there and caught a stunner in the face. He woke up a few minutes later to an amused Harry Potter's grinning face.

"Constant Vigilance Moody."

"When did you get here? I know you didn't come in just now. I locked the door after I sent the first years on their way the same way I just let everyone else in. I didn't each lunch outside this room, and I never saw the door open."

"I did just enter, but not in a method you knew to watch for. You need to learn to expect the unexpected."

"I bet I know, you probably slipped back in during the first lesson and stayed after."

"Nope. I swear on my magic I did not enter this room at all today until about five minutes ago." Harry said smugly as Moody tried to figure it out.

* * *

Harry and Lucy didn't get to have their talk as right after dinner McGonagall and Moody marched over to his table.

"Mr. Potter, a word in my office."

"Certainly." He followed them to the seventh floor.

"Mr. Potter, would you please explain your actions in Professor Moody's class today."

"Of course since you said please. I came to his class today after lunch as is on my schedule. The Professor was waiting outside the door. Eventually he allowed the students into the room one at a time. I did not enter the room prior to that moment. I decided to test my skills and see what areas need improvement. After all, what hope could a seventeen year old wizard have against a master Auror fifty years his senior? I discovered that while my stealth and spell work are apparently up to par, my entry methods and reasoning skills need work."

"You claim this was the first time you entered the room today? And I hear you swore another Oath to that effect? This tendency of yours for making Oaths is a little unnerving. In what ways were your entry and reasoning methods deficient?"

"I noticed some stiffness and pain after gaining entry in the way I did, which tells me I need more practice. That it took me nearly three minutes to relieve the professor of his wands tells me my reasoning skills are not up to par. The only one I had trouble with was the obvious one everyone knew was there and that was a simple fix. The other two were easy in comparison. As to the Oath about it being my first entry, I would like to ask a favor."

"What favor is this Mr. Potter?"

"Well, apparently I did and am going to do some time traveling today. Does Hogwarts still have that time turner Hermione used in our third year?"

"What time traveling is that, what do you need to accomplish that badly? And no, we don't have that one any more. It was returned to the Department of Mysteries and destroyed when a group of students you may know fought a group of death eaters."

"Damn, that complicates things. I don't know what I am supposed to accomplish. Apparently I was seen by the entire first year DADA class while I was in Potions with Professor Slughorn. I then came to potions, gave a message I still don't understand and left in a manner I can't explain! Apparently I am supposed to travel back in time, disrupt a lesson, learn a new form of magical travel that works within Hogwarts, and deliver a message I can't understand!"

"That is an interesting dilemma. Unfortunately, all the time turners were destroyed during your little jaunt to the ministry. If there are any left, they are under far better security now and I know you couldn't get one in time. A time turner can only go back a maximum of a day, and can't go back before it was made. So even if you learned to make one sometime in the next 16 hours, you can't go back. I only hope you haven't killed us all with a paradox."

"I guess saying 'oops' here isn't going to help."

"Not at all, but now that you've mentioned the first years' lesson, I have to remember our conversation from last night. It seems that a room containing twenty first years, who were all accounted for, and the two of you (one of which was time traveling illegally), suddenly gained and lost a large white tiger while you disappeared and later reappeared. I know last night you swore and Oath that you were not an unregistered animagus, but tell me. Are you a registered Animagus?"

"I swear on my magic I am not a white tiger animagus. To my knowledge, neither is Lucy but I won't swear to that."

"Stop making Oaths!"

"Lumos. Look it must be true. Can we point the fingers somewhere else now?"

"Mr. Potter you are as frustrating as trying to nail jelly to a tree. Get out of my office before I turn into an alcoholic."


	16. Be Careful What You Ask For

Disclaimer; The Blood are owned by Bishop. Potter-verse is owned by Rowling. I own a computer with a word processor.

* * *

"Hermione, I need your most excellent help. I need to find how to do something, I have less than sixteen hours to do it, and we'll probably all die if I don't. Have I ever told you how smart and pretty and wonderful you are?" Harry practically ran back to the common room. Things were not progressing well.

"Slow down Harry! Now what's wrong?"

"I've caused a time paradox, we're out of time turners, and McGonagall is pissed at me."

"Harry, how do you get yourself into these situations?"

"I don't know!"

"How did it happen?"

Harry explained about probing his own mind in potions, how he was certain that it was really him. He explained what McGonagall told him about the Ministry's time turners, and the probability that a collapse of the timeline from a paradox.

"So really, my choices are limited to 1) finding a time turner fast 2) discovering a way to time travel without a time turner or 3) building a time turner capable of going farther back than when it was built. If you and Ron can help me with the last two, I'm going to go try to break into the department of mysteries again."

"Harry, you can't just break into the ministry and steal a time turner!"

"Can you think of something else?"

"No, but that doesn't make it right. I don't know why I am your friend sometimes, I swear you've almost got me killed how many times now?"

"The number isn't important Hermione, what is important that I love you enough to never let it happen the same way twice."

"At least my life isn't boring." She finally gave in.

"Ok, you and Ron take my invisibility cloak and hit the restricted section, I'll be back in a couple hours I hope." Harry left the common room at a run. He needed to get directly under a wind to catch it in Hogwarts thanks to the wards. The Headmaster's office was one of only a few places it worked, and he wouldn't count on being welcomed there right now.

* * *

Lucy was sitting in the common room when she saw Harry leave in a panic. She saw his older friends group together for a few minutes before leaving. She decided to follow them to the library.

"Hey, why is everybody panicking? What's wrong with Harry? I want to help."

"Not now Lucy, we're trying to save the world." Ginny sounded annoyed.

"What is wrong, why does it need saving?"

"Because Harry is a prat who goes time traveling for the purposes of pranking."

"When did he travel in time?"

"Earlier today, during first period he showed up and talked to himself. I don't know who the rest of his accomplices are, but if I find them…"

"Oh. So how can I help?" She knew what happened by now, but had to find a way to protect herself too. Harry could survive a few minutes panic.

"Do you know any weird way to time travel without a time turner? Your magic is different, so he might be able to use that." Hermione suggested sounding hopeful and desperate.

"Hmm… I don't know. I'll go check my books." She grasped the excuse to leave and call Harry back.

* * *

Harry had just arrived at the phone booth and given his reason for being there when he received Lucy's mental summons back and explanation of her trick. Her apology sounded sincere, but he decided turn about was fair play and he would return the favor someday.

At breakfast the next morning he smiled when Professor McGonagall approached him.

"Good morning Professor."

"Mr. Potter, should I be preparing to be wiped out of existence?"

Harry didn't reply, he just handed her the ministry badge he got last night. "Harry Potter here to annoy the Unspeakables, again."

"Very well, I trust you returned it when you were done with whatever was so important?"

"Why don't you ask them if they are missing any?"

"You didn't answer me."

"You're right. It turns out I didn't use a time turner, so I don't need to return one."

"That is not a comforting thought. Can you do whatever it was you did again?"

"Yes."

"Heaven help us. Mr. Potter, please don't tamper with time."

"Since you asked so nicely, I won't. Or if I do I will make sure to go back and erase your memories of it so you won't have a reason to worry."

"Don't do that either."

"Who says I haven't already? Tell you what, if you ever find out I've been using time travel to mess with people's memories, you can take me up before the Wizangamot."

"This is three times in three days Mr. Potter you've made me wish Voldemort would attack. I need a drink."

"Hey, if you want me to lie to you just ask. For instance, do you know exactly how many times we've had this discussion now?"

McGonagall just growled in frustration and walked away. Hermione looked ready to tear strips out of him.

"Harry James Potter! Are you trying to kill that poor woman?"

"Not particularly, just get her into the proper frame of mind to be leading a school of children who can bend reality to their will."

"What do you mean?"

"Magic. All magic is really just the ability to bend and break reality and the laws of nature. Professor Dumbledore would have quite enjoyed the conversations she and I have had recently."

"Professor Dumbledore was considered insane by quite a few people." Hermione pointed out.

"You want to know what is insane? I've sworn six Wizard Oaths since I stepped off the Hogwarts express and no one trusts me. I can't imagine why."

"So how many times did you have that conversation with her?"

"Just that one time. She didn't respond, or ask me to confirm. She leapt to an assumption and got upset. Just like what happened the other night."

"What happened?"

"She called me to her office and asked me about the strange events of September first. But she never asked the questions she wanted to know the answers to. She wanted to know how I crossed the lake in the manner I did, but that's not what she asked. She wanted to know about the Marauders, but never asked if I knew who they were. She wanted to know who in the school was an animagus and what their forms were to my knowledge, but she just asked if I had anything I would like to confess. As a general rule, I don't like to confess things, so the answer was not what she wanted."

"Yesterday, she wanted to know about my exploits against Professor Moody and about the sudden appearance of a large white tiger in his classroom. She never outright asked because she assumed I wouldn't answer."

"I think I need a drink too. Do you know where I can find one?"

"Yes. See how much easier this is?"

"Where can I find one?"

"Here," He handed her two flasks, "take one to the Professor. Was that really so hard?"

* * *

"Mr. Potter, lets try this again." Professor McGonagall was back at lunch time for another shot.

"Ok, what can I do for you," He was infuriatingly polite and cheerful.

"Why is my Head Girl drunk?"

"Because she lacks self control and a sense of propriety?"

"Miss Granger has never had a problem with self control."

"I would remind you that she has been on most of my adventures over the years."

"Point for you Mr. Potter. I will try again. Where did my head girl find the liquor that she is now inebriated on?"

"Much better question, I think you will find a useful answer. I cannot be certain without asking her, but I suspect she is now drunk on the beverage I provided her with when she asked me. Otherwise she is quite resourceful and may have found any number of other intoxicants. How badly off is she?"

"Quite thoroughly pissed. She says she drank sunshine and love. Do you know what she means?"

"Ok, it is now almost a certainty she is drunk from something I gave her. Tell me Professor, did she come to you after you left at breakfast and give you a flask containing four ounces of opalescent liquid?"

"No, should she have?"

"When you left claiming to need a drink, she began asking me questions. I answered them. She expressed a desire for a drink. Since she was of age, I gave her two flasks and asked her to deliver one to you. Given that she did not, it is probable that she consumed hers before finding you, and decided to enjoy yours as well."

"Has it not occurred to you that you are setting a bad example for your fellow students? You should not be distributing liquor."

"The liquor in question is quite safe from those who would overindulge. Hermione will not be able to get her hands on more than a medicinal dose any longer, which was my intent behind the flasks I gave her if she had bothered to read the sides."

"How can you be certain of this and how much do you have?"

"I have enough for any reasonable use. Getting students drunk is not a reasonable use of my stores. It is safe from those who would be tempted because it does not exist in this reality until I call it here."

"What do you mean? I think I may need a dose soon."

"You mentioned the other day that the House Elves could not find my luggage. That was because my trunks are in a small pocket dimension outside reality that is maintained by my magic. Only I have access to it so everything in it is perfectly secure from anyone else." He replied as he handed her another flask. "Drink a sip, no more."

She did, and replaced the cap.

"That is quite unique and does make you feel better. What is it?"

"It's an alcoholic potion. At least that's the best way I can describe it. I am working under Professor Slughorn to secure a patent for it. I am considering marketing it as "Gryffindor Courage". I think that adequately describes the effects of having too much."

"That would explain why Miss Granger pointed at me and laughed as she explained the need to be direct in my questions."

"Exactly. She was brave, but also blindingly stupid. Gryffindor Courage it is. You may keep the flask, but remember sip don't gulp."

"Thank you, this has been more informative than usual for you. Will you be explaining this dimension pocket in your theory class?"

"I will discuss it but I do not know if or how well the concept will translate for most people. I learned to use this skill in my travels this summer and the methods may not mesh with traditional magic without much thought and research."

"How is it different?"

"It, and some of the other things I learned, operate on an entirely different magical system of thought. For instance, Voodoo works around cooperative and sympathetic magic with elements of shamanism. Our magic works around ordered magical spells and forms. Can one be learned by the other? Yes, but it requires that they examine the underlying flow of magic. The dimensional magic I am using centers around an intimate understanding of ones own mind and one's connection to the magical core."

"What are some other uses of this system of thought?"

"Actually one of the easiest is a communication method. In practice it is startlingly similar to apparition. To apperate you must visualize your destination, send your mind there, and drag your body along. To communicate in this way, you must visualize who you wish to contact, and where you expect them to be, cast you mind in their direction, and drag your message to them instead of your body. It even allows communication with non-human minds."

"Fascinating, would you demonstrate?"

"Certainly," He closed his eyes for a moment, "Hedwig will be here in a moment to prove the non-human aspect. In the interim, don't be frightened."

/_This is what mind to mind communication feels like. It is also how I knew that it was I when I was in potions yesterday. I found myself in a mind I was intimately familiar with. _/

"Remarkable. I find myself looking forward to your class; it should lead to some interesting discussions."

"I am as well. Oh look, here comes Hedwig. Is there anything else you wanted to speak to me about?"

"No, I have enough to think about. I hope I don't need to talk to you until I see you in class tomorrow."

"Not that I don't love you, but I hope so too. Its hard work answering your questions without telling you something you didn't ask for."

"Why have you been doing that by the way?"

"Well, there are some things you really don't want to know. There are other things that will only lead to more questions and distract us from the point of our discussion. For instance if yesterday instead of saying I entered the DADA classroom, I told you I walked through a solid stone wall while Professor Moody was by the door, you would have exactly that facial expression I see now. And it would lead to questions and answers that we do not have time for now. Rest assured answers will come to you someday."

"How…"

"Magic. Now I have class and I will see you tomorrow."

* * *

Harry spread the blanket out and set down the picnic basket. He reclined on the air as if in a chair.

"So how was your first week of classes Lucy?"

"They were fun. The man who teaches Potions seemed to really like me and was excited when I accidentally mentioned Mother was a Healer and Queen. He said I had a gift for potions."

"Professor Slughorn loves to meet and be friends with important people. He is a good man at heart, but he loves having important friends. It makes him feel important. I think he doesn't realize his own worth. So finding out that your mother is a Queen makes him feel special for knowing you."

"Oh."

"He will probably invite you to some parties now. He invites all the people he thinks are important or will become important to the parties he throws. Then he introduces everyone around. Saetan would say they are good places to find and use influence, but I don't like that sort of thing. If he invites you, feel free to go. Just because I don't like them doesn't mean that you won't."

"Yeah. If he invites me I will go to one and see if I like it."

"Good. So how did you like your other classes? Does Professor McGonagall still turn into a cat during your first lesson?"

"Yes she did. A lot of people thought it was amazing, but after having seen you do it, I knew it was still the same person in the inside. It was funny seeing her as a cat because you can still see her human side in a cat's body. I loved Professor Sprout's class. Herbology is a queen's magic. Queens are connected to the earth so learning about plants is fun. History was boring."

"I'm glad you like the classes. How did Professor Moody act after you pulled the joke on him?"

"He seems so grumpy. He's like uncle Lucivar, except he never settles down."

"Just give him time. If he is still grumpy after a few lessons let me know and we can help him relax."

"Is he going to like us helping him?"

"I don't mean we are going to prank him. I mean I know how to earn his respect. Once he respects you he is a lot like Lucivar, only more suspicious."

The two sat and talked all Saturday afternoon, looking at interesting clouds and enjoying the last days of summer. They talked about how different the school was from the Hall, how similar they were at the same time. They talked about what they were looking forward to in the coming year and what to expect.

A few students looked on in wonder and envy at the pair that could find solitude in a way denied to the others. In a school of several hundred students, the weekends at the end of summer almost demanded that they spread as far from others as possible. Unfortunately, that meant that the best most could do was get a few dozen feet from their nearest classmates. Harry and Lucy were alone for several hundred feet in every direction. After all, no one else could have a picnic in the middle of the lake.

Everyone was waiting for his lessons.


	17. Magic!

Disclaimer; The usual disclaimer still applies.

* * *

Harry walked into the room Professor McGonagall had agreed to let Harry use for his lessons and found it packed.

"Wow, I was really only expecting some first years to show up, but welcome everyone. I hope the older students will put up with me if we talk about things you already know. I hope you younger students will listen and ask me questions if I say something you don't understand. Also, there are two words I will throw you out of my lessons for saying so listen close. I do not ever want to hear anyone of any age say "That's Impossible!" If you do, you're out and I won't teach you. I want to teach people who want to learn and if you can't leave your preconceptions at the door we can't learn anything. When someone says something is impossible it makes others decide not to try."

"Can someone here tell me what Magic is? After all we are at this school to learn about it, let's hear someone tell me what it is."

He heard answers of varying complexity from around the room, but none of the first years spoke up.

"Those are some nice answers, but I want to hear something from the younger students. You, Mr. Jefferies, what is magic?"

"Umm, the ability to make things happen?"

"That's actually the closest answer I've heard to what I want to tell you. Magic is the ability to bend of break reality at will. A lot of people will tell you that there are rules and laws of magic. I don't know if there are or not, so let's explore that tonight. First though, Professor McGonagall it is wonderful to see you here. Tell me, if the past six years have taught you anything about me, what would it be?"

"You have an interesting knack for breaking rules." She said with a smile.

"That's about right, so I will apologize now for raising a whole new generation of rule breakers. Someone give me a rule of magic and we will see if we can discover if it is a rule or something people are afraid of knowing."

"You can't make gold," Hannah Abbot supplied.

"Really Hannah, in your first year you should have known better. After all, proof that you were wrong resided in this very school. What is the philosopher's stone then? Is Nicholas Flamel a myth? Gold can be created by magic. The philosopher's stone is the only way KNOWN to create it however. If it can be done once, it can be done again and I encourage everyone to try."

"You need a wand to do magic!" A first year thought he had him now.

"No, a wand makes it easier to control. Everyone performs accidental magic at some point. That magic is done without a wand so why can't other magic be done without one? We teach you to use a wand so that you can learn faster, not because you need it. Would you like a demonstration?" He pulled one of the death eater wands from the air in front of him and brought it down over his knee with a crack. Everyone in the room gasped. He then levitated the pieces and left them hanging in mid air.

"Let's hear another one."

"Magic can't make you immortal," a fifth year suggested.

"I would remind you of the Philosopher's Stone again, but that just ensures you will not die of old age. Ah, I know. Allow me to demonstrate some of the oldest magic in existence that I know isn't taught here."

Harry began moving his hands in the air in an intricate pattern he saw on a television program about new rave clubs. He added a bit of witch fire for effect and spoke absolute gibberish in a solemn tone. He finished his mock spell with a bright flash.

"A man over fifty thousand years old taught me the principles behind that bit of magic. His sons are just this side of two thousand and still going strong. No one in this room can kill me, but I will let you try if you want." He called in his silver knife and held it hilt first over his heart. "Would anyone like to try? I promise I won't get angry."

There was silence and no one moved to accept his offer for a few moments.

"Ok, fair enough. But you aren't allowed to say it is impossible now because you were not ready to test it." He waved his hands in the air and added another flash. "Who wants to be immortal anyway, its more trouble than it is worth. Let's hear another rule. Hermione, what does it say on page 187 of that book I've apparently never read?"

"You can't apperate in Hogwarts."

"You can't because you believe you can't. I am willing to test it for myself." He grabbed the wind and appeared in the Headmaster's office, grabbed the sorting hat and appeared back in the classroom. "What does it appear I just did? Most of magic is centered around belief. If there is nothing else I can teach any of you at all learn this. You can do anything you believe you can do. It becomes easier if others believe in you as well. When many witches or wizards believe in the same thing together it is easier to do. Four people believed they could build a world class school of magic, and over the years thousands of witches and wizards have also believed it. This reinforced system of belief is what makes Hogwarts the best in the world. Next."

"No wizard can fly on their own power," A sixth year Hufflepuff spoke up.

"I don't have room to test that in here, but tomorrow at noon I will jump off the astronomy tower without a broom. Either I believe I can fly, or your comment has crushed my spirit and I want to kill myself. Show up in the courtyard tomorrow to find out which. Again, you can do anything you believe. Witches and Wizards believe they can't fly, so they don't. I believe I can, so I am going to test it and hope I figure it out before I hit the ground. The trick to flying is to throw yourself at the ground and miss."

"Now that we got that out of our systems, let's start at the very beginning. Magic needs three things to work; will, intent, and inborn ability. You must choose to cast the spell, know what you want it to do, and have enough power to make it work. Everything else is just there to make it easier. When I levitated that broken wand, did I have another in my hand? Did I speak the words of the levitation charm all first years learn? No, I merely decided to do it, thought about how I wanted it done, and let the magic flow where it needed to be. This takes more power and skill than the levitation charm, but it still works. Mostly it worked because I believed it would. To demonstrate this, I want to teach you all a new spell. Would everyone third year and under come to the left side of the room and the rest to the right?"

He waited while they did so. "Now, the spell I am going to teach you will be very useful when you graduate, it is a variation of the silencing charm you learn in first year. The incantation is innocuous enough to use around muggles and the average witch or wizard should have more than enough power to cast it without a wand. The wand or hand movement is a simple circle around whatever you want to silence, followed by a slashing motion through the circle. Now listen carefully to the incantation." He pulled his own wand and did the motions pointing at the older students adding a nonverbal Silencio. "Ix-nay on the Upid-stay!"

Some of the older students tried to protest that it wasn't a real spell, but the silencing charm wasn't letting them.

"This spell cannot be undone using a simple Finite, the counter is an upward slash and the incantation 'Go on you jabber-monkeys,' again so it can be used wandlessly around muggles. Team up now and practice this spell. Remember to believe."

It was a few minutes before any of them accomplished it. A first year Hufflepuff succeeded in silencing his Ravenclaw partner who hadn't believed.

"Look everybody, Evan Matthews did it. Come on everyone I know you can do this." It was as if the floodgates had opened. After seeing one of their own accomplish this strange new spell, others believed and magically could. "Alright, now that some of you seem to have it, everyone practice the counter charm."

Anne Bishop was the first to free her teammate, and again, others could after seeing it done.

"Great job everyone! Bishop, Matthews, come up front with me. That was some fine spell work. You two did something I don't think any first year ever has. Do you want to know why the other students are so upset right now?" He countered the silencing charm.

Hermione was the most vocal, even after having seen them do it. "That wasn't a real spell and you know it!"

"It seems you are wrong. Professor McGonagall, how many points should we award these two for the creation of two new spells in record time? That's what you two did by the way, I made all that up. You two created the spells and made them work. Once the others saw you do it, you inspired belief and confidence. Does fifty points to Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff sounds appropriate?"

"Indeed, and twenty five points to Gryffindor for helping them along the way." Professor McGonagall looked smug. Hermione looked put out.

"Arithmancy and the study of runes can teach you all easier ways to do what we just did. They will show you what words and wand movements work best for certain types of spells. But if you have enough will, intent, and power you can do anything. Matthews, you were successful because you were the first person to correctly manipulate your intent. You knew that you wanted your spell to make the other person unable to speak, to be effective immediately, and you also thought of how you were going to counter it. Holding all these details in your mind focused your magical ability and forced it to do what you wanted. Sixth years will be studying non verbal spells this year, remember this lesson. Focus your intent and let the magic flow. The vocal words help your mind remember exactly what the magic is supposed to do and what it isn't."

"I will now open myself up for questions, in case you want to discuss what we covered."

One of the older Ravenclaw students raised his hand, "You said you knew people over a thousand years old who taught you that immortality spell? I thought Nicholas Flamel was the oldest man alive and he is only 689."

"First of all, I was not immortal. What I did was technically Voodoo. It is called cooperative or sympathetic magic. I impressed you with some words and a light show then told you that you could not kill me. Because you believed you couldn't you decided not to even if you might have before. Sympathetic magic is very powerful, as I said it made Hogwarts what it is today. Yes, I learned from men several thousand years old, no you probably will never meet them."

"Who were they?"

"I will not answer that question here for several reasons. It would cause problems for myself and others at this castle if I did. The name of the man who taught me the principles of sympathetic magic had reached the level of myth here, and I really don't want to see his name in the Prophet."

"How do you walk on water? And how did you teach Lucy over there?" a Gryffindor asked.

"I didn't teach Lucy, we learned from the same person. The first step is to forget everything you know about magic."

"Done." A first year quipped.

"I focus on the feeling of walking across a solid floor, and let magic flow into my feet and walk on that magic. I can also lay on a couch that isn't there, or sit on a stool. I just focus on the feeling and let the magic flow. I could try to teach you, but I suspect that if I did better than the answer I just gave your professors would go insane within the week. It has a lot more uses than just walking on water."

"How did you become invisible in Professor Moody's class with us?" Cara Gregors asked.

"Who said I was? I was in potions at the time, you can ask Professor Slughorn."

"We saw you! And how did you become a white tiger?"

"You think you saw me. And I have never been a white tiger. If I were an animagus I would probably be something that can fly and looks cool, like an owl."

"Ok, how did you turn invisible in OUR DADA class?" Ron quipped.

"I am sorry, I won't teach that skill to anyone until after they graduate. It would be a bad example for the Head Boy to help students avoid teachers and roam the school after hours. Nor will I teach people to see through invisibility cloaks like Professor Moody and I can. When you graduate Ron, I will be happy to teach you but not until then. In the mean time my invisibility cloak is right where it always was, next to my sneak-o-scope, and you know the combination to my trunk."

"Mr. Potter!"

"Professor McGonagall, what did I tell you last week about my possessions that could be dangerous? It's still true, just because he knows where it is doesn't mean he can get to it." McGonagall grumbled a bit, but relented.

"Wait a minute, I thought you snapped your wand!" A third year had obviously been paying more attention than some of the others.

"Gracious no! Why would I do a thing like that? I snapped A wand. I would never snap MY wand. But it did prove a point. Lucy, I don't care how much you need to make a point, don't you dare snap the wand I made for you. Find another one and snap that." Lucy nodded her head.

"You made her wand?" someone shouted at the same time Professor McGonagall asked "Who's wand did you snap?" in a very disapproving tone.

"Yes, I made hers. It was her birthday present. No, I won't make one for any of you. She's my sister and is therefore special. Professor McGonagall that is one of the questions you don't want me to answer. If you decide you need an answer, don't ask me in a room full of people. By all appearances, it is an oak wand, eleven inches, with a dragon heartstring core. I never did like heart string wands, always seemed cruel to the dragons."

"What did you make hers out of?" the same voice asked.

"Pickle berry wood for her sweet and saucy personality, with three cores. A hair from a female unicorn, a male centaur, and her mother. All three hairs were given just for her to use, which makes it better for her."

"Why would a centaur give a hair for a human's wand?" Firenze had been walking past the door when he heard that, and didn't look happy.

"Because he was a close friend of her mother and had known her since she was born. Prince Sceron was most generous." Harry replied after slipping into his translation spell. The class was impressed to hear him speak Centaur, it was supposed to be a secret language.

"You have many secrets. I had wondered why mars vanished from the skies only to reappear brighter than before."

"Mars will burn bright for some time, then fade away." Harry was beginning to understand the centaurs. They always spoke of Mars, God of War, when he was around. They could see what was coming.

Firenze nodded and walked away from the door.

"What was that about?" A voice quavered from the back.

"We just shared observations about the stars and their movements. They put a great deal of emphasis on watching the heavens and I told him something I had observed."

* * *

"Thank you for agreeing to answer my questions in private Harry."

"Ah, finally I am no longer Mr. Potter!"

"I could change my mind."

"I'll be good Headmistress."

"Very well, would you tell me now that we are alone who taught you that was so old?"

"I will, but I would ask that you not jump to conclusions. I was taught by Saetan the High Lord of Hell and his two sons Daemon Sadi and Lucivar Yaslana. Despite their names and titles, they are not evil men. They have had to fight a few wars over the millennia and have gained an undeserved reputation. They fight as firmly on the side of good as I do or Dumbledore did. The name of Saetan is mythic here, but he only kills those who truly deserve it and Hell is not such a bad place."

"How can you say that Hell is not so bad?"

"Well, I grew up on Privet drive with the Dursleys, and I have visited Hell. Given the choice where I would rather spend the rest of my existence, I would rather go to Hell. I've been there, you haven't."

"If you say so Harry, I agree it would be best if the other students didn't find that out. Why did you say it would cause problems with other students too?"

"Because Daemon Sadi is Lucy's father, which means Saetan is her grandfather. If I were ostracized for having known them, she would try to defend us. If any harm were to come to her while she were here, Hogwarts would be nothing but a smoking pile of rubble before dawn the next day."

"Lucy's family, your family is…"

"Saetan Daemon SaDiablo, all three names have become almost synonymous with evil and fear. As I said, her grandfather is not an evil man, he is a good man but he loves his granddaughter and will not allow her to be hurt without making an example. When your very name is that well known, making examples out of people takes on a whole new meaning. They won't get upset at the school if there is just a bully or something, but to decry the family name and torment her as evil would bring down worse than Voldemort ever could. If there's a bully, they will just come after me."

"Why would they come after you?"

"I am her bodyguard here, it is my job to make sure her family never has to show up. I am one of three by the way and no I won't reveal the other two except to say they are not Ron, Hermione, or any of the D.A."

"I won't reveal her secret. So, who's wand did you snap?"

"Honestly, I don't know who's that was."

"Where did you get it?"

"It was on the ground next to a death eater who was dying a slow painful death."

"You were right. There are some questions I don't want you to answer. Thank you, by the way for not telling them how you do your little invisibility trick. I never thought about the possibility that you would be asked to teach that. I noticed you also didn't tell anyone how you carry your luggage?"

"I thought about it, but then I considered its potential for abuse and decided that wasn't something the Head Boy should teach the masses. Can you imagine the trouble if everyone had a completely private and secure vault at their finger tips? For instance, if the child of a Death Eater were heard making threats, right now we can search her belongings for dangerous objects or dark magic. If I taught them to do what I do, we would have no way to know who had what. The potential for theft and abuse is too great for me to teach the average student, especially when we are at war and I don't know the allegiance of all the students. The same arguments can be made against teaching the messaging techniques I use."

"That is a remarkably mature decision."

"I may teach a few people, but only those I know I can trust. I will endeavor to teach you if you wish, it would be useful in your animagus for to be able to carry things or speak with others, but it would be too useful to a spy."

"Thank you for being forthright with me. Now that I am learning how to ask you questions I am feeling slightly more sane."


	18. Flying without a broom

Disclaimer; The usual disclaimer applies. I don't own this story.

* * *

Noon Sunday found Harry making his way to the top of the astronomy tower. When he got there however he found the door to the roof blocked by Professor McGonagall.

"What is the meaning of this foolishness? You aren't going to be jumping from the astronomy tower. It is impossible to fly on your own power. Were you just planning to stand there and have someone try to talk you out of it so that you can go on pretending anything is possible?"

"This is possible Professor. You've known me a long time, am I the sort to intentionally get myself killed by jumping? Am I the sort to make promises and then back out of them? I would like to think not."

"It's true you haven't been that way in the past, but this is just foolish. Are you seriously hoping to find a spell no one else has before you hit the ground? Last night was entertaining to be sure, but it won't work for something like this. Belief can only carry you so far Mr. Potter."

"I am not hoping anything. I already know what I need to do. Belief can get you everywhere. I would hate to disappoint you Professor, but I will be going to that roof and I will be jumping off. If not for the public spectacle to prove my lessons, then just to have fun and fly. I won't even require you to move. I would prefer not to walk through the stone around you, it is rather uncomfortable and possibly injurious, but it can be done." He punched his fist into the wall, immersing it up to the wrist in stone.

"There is really nothing I or anyone can do to stop you?"

"I don't think so. The worst you can do is expel me and while I would prefer not to do that, I don't really need the education. I am here because I feel at home at Hogwarts, and it is where my friends are."

"At least tell me that this isn't fueled by that liquid Gryffindor Courage you carry about."

"No, but the victory party after we annihilate everyone for both the House Cup and the Quidditch cup might be."

"Please don't."

"Alright, shall we go meet the school?"

"If you are insisting on getting yourself killed in this charade."

* * *

They strode together out onto the observation deck and looked over the school. It appeared that about half the school had shown up to watch his attempt to go down in history. There appeared to be some heavy betting going on, a few Ravenclaw boys were making book on all the possible outcomes. They should have known better than to make book on Harry Potter, and they definitely should not have given Luna such great odds on her oddball bet.

"Hey! What odds can I get on making it out of this unscathed after I jump?" He yelled to them.

"Three to Two!" They yelled back.

"Five galleons on me then!" He tossed some money down to them, and betting picked up on that same outcome. He hoped they could cover it all.

Harry took off his robe and handed it to McGonagall, leaving him dressed in a white silk shirt and black linen trousers, elegant and perhaps overdressed but he was here to make a statement. He wasn't going to make a statement dressed in Dudley's old hand me downs, that's for sure. He wet his finger and held it up to test the wind.

He stood tall for a moment, then toppled forward head first over the side. Screams rang out from below as he fell like a rock.

Less than fifteen feet from the ground, he pulled out of his dive and soared gracefully back into the sunshine and fresh air with a wild whoop of joy and freedom. He set himself up to make a circuit of the courtyard before landing. Halfway around, as he passed by the transfiguration classroom, he heard a roar as Kaelas pounced from his favorite sunning spot.

More screams echoed below him as the school got their second glimpse of Kaelas. Most had begun to discount the rumors from Moody's first years, but this seemed to prove it. Among the screams, there was on gruff chuckle and a yell of "Constant Vigilance!" There was a short scuffle as he and Kaelas wrestled in mid air. Kaelas finally scored a swipe across Harry's chest and instantly put up his sight shield and stalked away. Harry watched the cat stalk back to his spot on the roof and promised himself revenge. That hurt! And, he had lost his bet.

He landed and walked over to the bookies. "Can we consider that I survived the flying part unscathed?"

"Sorry, but no. Besides, we gave Luna twenty to one odds, we need everything we can get!"

"What was her bet?"

"That you could fly but would be attacked by an invisible flying tiger. We can't tell if that was a tiger or a lioness but we know when we are beaten."

"It was an Acerian Cat, but that's not the point. He wasn't flying though, just walking on air."

"Close enough for us."

"Here's a hint for you guys, don't bet against the seer."

"She's a seer? We always knew she was odd, but we didn't think she was a seer!"

"Just lighten up on her will you? I think I am about to be dragged to the Hospital Wing for these scratches."

Sure enough, it looked as if McGonagall, Moody, and Madam Pomphrey were all converging on him.

"Mr. Potter, I thought I told you not to play around with time!"

"And I thought I swore on my magic I was not a white tiger animagus. That wasn't me!"

"I had forgotten that."

Moody grabbed his chance while McGonagall was distracted. "What have I taught you boy, Constant Vigilance! You should have been ready for that."

"I saw him there, I just didn't think he was going to take a swipe at me! He hasn't attacked me since I came, I thought we were past that stage."

"Ah-ha! So you do know who that is!"

"Of course I do. No offense Madam Pomphrey, but I would prefer to avoid the hospital wing. As soon as I can find Lucy, I will be right as rain in no time. Lucy!"

A sandy brown head turned, "Yeah?"

"Mr. Shadow took a chunk out of me to make sure we all lost our bets. Grab your healer kit and get over here."

"Really, Mr. Potter! I must insist that you come to the Hospital wing. Those gashes are bleeding all over the place, they could get infected."

"If you'll let me and Lucy worry about them, we can have them healed before we would make it to the Hospital Wing and with less fuss. I'm not going to die from this, I've done worse in training. You should have seen me when I was learning to fight with a knife. Lucy nearly gutted me like a fish!"

"You let a ten year old witch knife you?" Moody asked.

"It wasn't that I let her, she's been using knives, bows, and something like a halberd since she was old enough to hold one. She beat me and could have killed me before I was able to so much as scratch her. Give her a chance Professor, she might surprise you."

Lucy showed up with a wooden frame and spool of silk thread. Harry lay down on the grass and vanished his ruined shirt.

"Thanks Lucy. Let's tie this into both of our jewels. Grab mine from my ankle bracelet. I'll funnel the power to you and you sing the web alright?"

She nodded and began to string the silk across the frame, she took off her necklace and tied it opposite his anklet. Then she took blood from his wound and let droplets fall on important parts of the web. Blood from both of them was smeared across the jewels. Harry closed his eyes in intense concentration as Lucy began to sing in a soft voice. To the astonishment of the on looking teachers, his wounds began to close and the scars reduced to pale pink lines across his skin.

"Thank you Lucy, my own personal Healer. See Madam Pomphrey, no need for an overnight stay. I'm fine, she's fine. Not that we would say no to some pepper up potions mind, that takes a fair bit of energy."

"Harrumph! I'll be the judge of that. Both of you come with me."

Harry looked at Lucy and grinned, "You realize you just had every Gryffindor girl's dream right? Harry Potter shirtless on the ground beneath you and under your spell… Just don't tell Ginny." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek when she blushed crimson.

Professor McGonagall found her avenue of question again, "So, Mr. Potter, who was it you said attacked you? Matters of discipline among the students are important. Mr. Shadow was it?"

Harry cursed inwardly, "I don't want to pursue the matter. Mr. Shadow was just playing a little joke. Everyone lost a bit of money and looked foolish. Me especially. No harm done."

"I am sorry, but even if you don't want to pursue it I must. And this nickname of his only makes things more interesting. Wasn't Mr. Shadow one of the names behind the prank at the opening feast. I remember you swearing on your magic that if you found the students responsible you would bring them to me. Just like you swore on your magic you weren't a white tiger animagus. Are your oaths actually any good?"

"Both were true oaths. Mr. Shadow did not cast the flaming letters. I can't reveal him beyond this for security reasons. He is one of Three, like I am one of Three. Remember the conversation we had last night?"

"The three that are guarding…"

"Yes."

"Ah. So his assault on you was not assault you say?"

"No, I would rather call it a training exercise, if that is alright with you."

"I suppose we can work with that."

"If you two are done being cryptic, I want to give my patient a thorough examination." The healer was a bit peeved at being ignored.

"Just admit you love having me undress in front of you as much as the other girls. All you have to do is ask…" Harry said with a lecherous grin.

* * *

"Harry, we need to talk." Harry looked up from his book to find Ginny.

"Sure thing babe, where do you want to talk?"

"Let's go to your room."

"No problem." He lead her up the stairs to the Gryffindor Head Boy suite. "Ok, now that we're alone, which is what you obviously wanted, what's up?"

"Harry, what has changed?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've changed, you're different. You're still a nice guy, I still love you, but there is something different about you. You flirt, you tease, and you are a lot more affectionate. And that's with other girls. Are you serious about me?" Ginny was beginning to look hurt.

"Oh, Ginny come here," he pulled her into an embrace and just held her as they sat on a couch. "I think I need to explain some of what has happened over the summer. There are two answers, the short version and the long version. The short version is that I found what is going to beat Voldemort, and that makes me confident and secure."

"What does that have to do with flirting with all the other girls?"

"Dumbledore was right. After he revealed the prophecy to me, he told me that the power I have that Voldemort doesn't is my love. I finally understand how love can win this war. I may flirt and tease other girls, but who am I actually affectionate with? I've given Hermione, Gabrielle, and Lucy a peck on the cheek or two. I've given hugs to a few female friends. I've given Hedwig a playful nip or cuddled close. But you are the one I come to for anything else. You are the only one I've kissed on the lips or with any passion. You are the one I've caressed and held to me."

"Wait, Hedwig?"

"Oh. Uh… I may be an owl animagus. Please don't let that get out."

"That's why she's done those illusions of you two!"

"Um… yeah, she seems to think I am a handsome owl. Are you jealous of Hedwig?"

"No I am not jealous, you are a handsome man, why wouldn't you look good as an owl? Wait a minute, you did that on purpose! You are trying to distract me! So how is flirting with other women and owls going to save the world?"

"It isn't. That gets into the long version. Ok, now just like most people can be divided into Muggles and Wizards, wizards and witches can be divided as well. Like the majority of humans are muggle, the majority of wizards are just wizards. But some have just a little extra. I am one of those. I am what is called a Warlord Prince. Warlord Princes have much stronger instincts than usual, almost as if they were still an animal inside. Surely you've noticed them, I can't be sure but I believe they are some of the same qualities that brought you to me. I don't have many friends, but those I do I love deeply and would do anything for. My temper is only riled by a few things, but when sparked is legendary. Basically I am what it means to be a male. I fight, I love, I protect, and I serve."

"Ok, I am still not getting it."

"Think of wolves. A warlord prince is the alpha wolf. He loves his whole pack and will fight to the death to protect it. Ultimately, though he looks like a leader, he is serving the whole pack by giving them something to bond around. I will defeat Voldemort because I am willing to die to do so. He isn't. He thinks I am an annoyance, or some fly to be swatted, but when the battle turns against him, he is not fighting FOR anything but himself. If he dies killing me, he loses. If I die killing him, everyone in the world wins. Like that wolf, I love enough to die. I really hope I don't have to, but I will if needed. The whole world, at least those good honest people, is my pack. I am not fighting just for me, or you, or Ron and Hermione. I am fighting for the whole world here, wizards and muggles."

"Because I finally understand why I have a "saving people thing" as Hermione puts it, I am more comfortable in my skin. I can tease, joke, laugh, love, and flirt. But I know who I want to come home to. Does that make you jealous? To know that I can love others and not just you? You are the only person I am dating, the only person I am snogging, and most certainly the only person I am hoping to do some wickedly delicious things to."

"I guess not, but I want you to myself. Can you not flirt so much? Cut back just a little? I will try not to be jealous if you try not to make me jealous."

"Thank you, I will try."

"Good. Now, about those wickedly delicious things you wanted to do to me? What did you have in mind?" She tried to look cute and innocent.

"Nothing too much yet, I plan to seduce you slowly after all. In the mean time I will just make you beg me to hurry up. Close your eyes."

When she did, he took a few steps back before beginning slowly with the phantoms. Invisible hands held and caressed her while a mouth and tongue kissed and nibbled her neck. It was quite a while before she opened her eyes to find him sitting across the room on his bed, an evil smile on his face. She let out a loud "Eep!" of surprise and looked around for her "new friend."

"Who was that if it wasn't you? Why are you smiling?"

"That was me, and that is just a taste. I was going easy on you, I have enough hands, mouths, and tongues to be an orgy all by myself. When we do eventually come to that next step, I want to know that no one else can ever make you feel the same. And I want you to know it as well."

"I can already tell that. You make me feel different than any other man, and that's without using your special magics."

"Tell me Ginny, do you think you can be quiet? Or stay still? We're going to find out. I don't have to be there with you to be with you. I wonder what would happen if I made you squirm in Transfiguration? Or charms? Do you think anyone would notice?"

"You wouldn't!"

"Is it so wrong to want my girlfriend to be happy? Is it wrong to want to make her feel loved? These are things I have been taught to be good at. I am almost as good at them as I am at fighting. One day I hope to be better."

"Not in a class! And just who is teaching you?"

"There goes that jealousy again. Daemon, Lucy's father and my adopted one, was a sex slave before he married the Queen. If he did his job well, they wouldn't take out their extra energy finding new ways to torture him. He was very good, the best on three worlds, before he had to kill everyone and escape slavery. He's been teaching a lot of interesting magic. No more fun magic for you until you stop being jealous about me knowing it."

"I'll be good!" She looked just like a little girl who lost her puppy. Perfect, he had her right where he wanted her..


	19. Eris Ascendant

Disclaimer; Potter-verse belongs to Bishop, I belong to the Realms, and Dyslexia has JK Rowling. Or some combination thereof.

/_This is an indication that someone is channeling the Infernal Overlord of the six hells and thirty two waffles. _/

* * *

As the school settled down to breakfast halfway through October, Harry looked down at the front page of the Daily Prophet and barely managed to avoid spraying his pumpkin juice all over his friends.

"What! I can't believe this!"

"What's wrong Harry?" Hermione wondered.

"Draco managed to get himself killed and I wasn't there to do it!" He had perhaps said this a bit too loud as some people were beginning to look at him sideways.

"You shouldn't speak like that. Well? How did he die? I hope the aurors gave it to him good."

"That's the part that annoys me. He was enjoying a five star meal at the Golden Dragon when he apparently had an allergic reaction to something in his food. He died in transit to St. Mungo's. It appears that the chef who prepared his meal has been let go to prevent any scandal from being attached to the restaurant."

"So, that's one less death eater, who cares?" Ron asked between bites of his pancakes.

"He shouldn't have died by accident. He should have looked me in the eye and known death was his only reward for what happened to Dumbledore and Bill. Remember, he let Fenrir and the others into Hogwarts. He got off too easy." A feral and wild look took over his face as his voice rumbled too quietly. He didn't have the thunder of Saetan or Daemon, no he had sound of tidal wave rushing forward.

"Mate, you are scaring the girls. Control yourself. Please." Ron implored Harry uselessly.

"No, they will all pay for the innocents who have suffered. To each shall be given what he gave." A sense of power began slowly radiating from Harry, and a sense of great danger. Half of Gryffindor House was openly staring at Harry in fear and some of the other houses were starting to feel it when Hedwig flew into the Hall and made a bee line for Harry.

She buffeted him around the head and neck with her wings and landed on the table staring at him. Several tense seconds passed while the two shared a mental conversation. Lucy came up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. He spun around instantly, catching her wrist as she tried to pull away.

"Go to the courtyard. I'll face you with the sticks." She said as she walked away.

* * *

When Harry left the hall, everyone visibly relaxed. They didn't know how they knew, but they could all sense that a predator had left the room. Conversation began to pick back up.

"What was that about? I've never seen him that way." Hermione gave a small shudder.

"Yes you have. He was like that when he kissed me at the wedding." Ginny corrected.

"No, he was different. He was intense and focused, but now… he was downright deadly."

"He was deadly then too, you just couldn't feel it like I could. He warned me about this. He is going to be alright eventually. He just needs… Oh my god! We need to get to the courtyard!"

"Why, what's wrong?" Ron said as he started to stand.

"He needs to work off his temper, and Lucy just called him to the courtyard for practice with those bladed sticks they use. He's going to get her killed!"

* * *

When they arrived they saw Harry and Lucy as never before. The others had seen them work through solo drills and maneuvers, but had never seen them in an all out battle. Lucy had Harry horribly outclassed and it showed. He was blinded by his rage, while she was quick and lithe. Add in that she had a few more years of training and it was easy to see who was going to win.

Harry's robes hung in tatters and he sported several large but shallow cuts across his torso and back. They were just enough to slow him down and make every movement hurt. Lucy decided to finish it and appeared behind him and put the butt of her stick into the base of his skull as he crumpled like a rag doll. She turned to the others.

"Kaelas, float him to the hospital wing, I'll get Madam Pomphrey. Ginny, you go with him and be there when he wakes up, I'll send Hedwig to join you. Your presence will calm him some."

They were surprised to hear her suddenly giving orders but followed them anyway. Kaelas appeared out of the shadows and floated Harry's body along beside him. Ginny fell into step.

"So you're Kaelas, Harry told me about training with you wherever he was this summer. I never suspected that you would be here at Hogwarts too."

/_I am Kaelas. Kae Tundros learns fast but has much yet to learn. _/ He confirmed.

"I didn't know you could do that too. Who is Kae Tundros?"

/_He is Kae Tundros, the white thunder. He is accepted by the Kindred._ /

"Ok, if you say so. So when we are alone, can I see what you look like as a human? Everyone has been wondering who the tiger animagus was."

/_I am not a smelly two-legs. I am an Acerian Cat, I am Kindred. _/

"You aren't human? Then what are you doing here?"

/_I am Kindred. The school said the Lady's daughter could bring a familiar animal and they said she could bring a cat. Here I am. Kae Tundros assured us that it was allowed. He and Hedwig have been together all his time here. _/

"You mean you are actually a tiger all the time? Lucy has a tiger as a familiar?"

/_I am not a tiger, whatever that is. I am an Acerian Cat. _/ Kaelas sounded highly insulted.

"I am sorry, Hedwig is the only example I've seen of an animal that uses magic. I don't know if she can talk."

/_We prefer Kindred, not animals. Animals are beasts, we are people too. Hedwig can speak, she just does not to humans except to Harry and the Lady. He is kindred, and she is the Lady. _/

"I will try to remember that. I don't mean to be insulting, honest."

* * *

They came to the Hospital wing to find Madam Pomphrey and the Headmistress waiting for them.

"Alright, Mr. Shadow, what did you do to my patient this time?"

"Mr. Shadow…?" Ginny turned to Kaelas, a look of recognition on her face.

"No, Ms. SaDiablo has already claimed responsibility for this one, though I suspect I will hear it was a training accident when he wakes up." McGonagall inserted.

"In addition to all the cuts and bruises, he was hit at the base of the skull with a blunt object. That is what made him black out." Ginny offered as the Healer scanned him for injuries. "Lucy implied that he would wake up soon, and given how proficient she was at giving him these injuries, I think I will take her word for it."

"What is the world coming to when first years put the head boy in the Hospital wing after beating him senseless with a sharp stick? As if I didn't have a hard enough job already. Well let's see, nothing permanent. It looks like all of these were meant to limit his mobility and be painful without being too damaging. A few hours here and I can let him return to class after lunch."

* * *

At lunch, the Marauders struck again. Everyone was sitting and enjoying their meal when several potions and charms simultaneously came into effect. A modified version of the Canary creams was slipped into every dish, and all the drinks contained traces of an aging potion, finally a fertility charm had been placed on one side of the doorway, and a dispelling charm on the other so the mayhem would not result in any additions to the student body.

The result of this clever concoction was an idea that Hedwig had, and the two humans had worked out. As the clock struck half past noon, everyone changed into a large bird of some kind, was fertile, and aged a few weeks. After laying a clutch of eggs, they returned to their normal forms and the chaos reigned.

Kaelas did the lettering this time, "**Ms. Snow would like to remind the students to visit their feathered friends in the Owlery and show their appreciation for all the work Owls do.**"

Harry, who had just recovered from being a swan momentarily, scooped up his eggs.

"Dobby!" He called, "Cheese and mushroom omelet with a crumble of bacon and chopped peppers."

"Yes Sir Mr. Harry Potter sir!"

The others looked at him blankly.

"What? It's not like they're going to hurt me, its just an omelet."

* * *

That Saturday, his theory of magic class was packed as always. In the past three weeks he had begun with laws of magic, discussed visualization, and finally moved to different schools of thought about magic (cooperative, sympathetic, shamanistic, blood magic, mental arts, etc…). They all lead into the bomb he was about to drop on them in this class.

"Welcome back everyone, I am happy to see so many of you decided to come back for another boring lecture." There was much laughter here as most considered his lessons anything but.

"We've talked a lot about magic these past couple weeks. I've taught you new spells and helped you cast them better, but we never did stop to define a term. Someone help me, what is Magic? What do we mean?"

A young Ravenclaw began to sound a lot like Hermione, "Magic is a force of nature."

"I think we will need more than that but you are on the right track."

"Magic is a wizard's ability to tap into the creative force of the cosmos." Luna Lovegood provided.

"Yes and no. You are right, but that isn't something most people can relate to."

Hermione thought she knew the answer he was looking for, "Magic is the ability to bend or break reality with your will."

"No. That is what magic allows us to do, not the essence of magic. Magic is chaos. It is the essence of change leaking into the world. Muggle science calls magic Entropy, and they have some rather interesting laws about it. These are in fact the only laws I recognize with respect to magic."

"What can muggles really know about magic?"

"Quite a bit. They saw magic interacting with their lives hundreds of years ago and sought to nail down exactly what it is they are working with. It ruined their experiments and basically sowed chaos where they were trying to instill order. So eventually through trial and error they discovered a few rules about it. Some of you Ravenclaw or muggle born students may recognize these."

"1. There is a fixed amount of energy and matter in the universe. You can change it from one form to another but you can't really destroy anything. Ever."

"2. In any exchange you end up with less than you began with. Magic and Entropy always win. You can conjure a block of wood and burn it for warmth, or you can cast a heating charm. Both give you less energy back in heat than if you set fire to existing wood. Which more than likely cost you more energy to gather in the first place. You can't win, you can't break even, and you aren't allowed to read the rules first."

"Magic is chaos. When you lose some energy performing magic, it manifests elsewhere in some form designed to break order."

"Excuse me sir, but what does that really mean? What does that have to do with us?" a timid Hufflepuff asked.

"All those fancy words really lead down to one thing. Each and every one of you is responsible for the eventual destruction of the earth. When you cast a spell you destroy just a little bit more of the universe. But don't feel bad, if you didn't do it, something else would. Magic is eternal and ever present. As the world becomes more stable and orderly, magic and chaos seek to remedy that."

"In the time of the Roman empire, things were about as orderly as they could get. Pax Romana was two hundred years of stability and peace for Europe and surrounding areas. To off set all this order and stability, the universe brought someone very special into existence. Myrddin Emrys, also known as Merlin Ambrosius, broke all the rules of magic and remade them into what we know now. He was a mage without equal for an empire without equal. There were fewer wizards per muggle back then, but they were more powerful."

"In recent times, the British empire and the new American empire have imposed new levels of order and structure in the world. War among both muggles and wizards has helped decrease the order, but it isn't enough. Their mastery over science and machines is hurting the universe, so new generations of wizards are born with more power than before. In the last hundred years, there have been three major wizards dishing out all the chaos magic can handle. Grindewald and Tom Riddle were insane and sociopathic. Albus Dumbledore was a barmy old codger, but less sociopathic. This generation of wizards and witches at Hogwarts today is one of the strongest I believe there has ever been."

"What about you sir?"

"What about me? Are you asking where I fit on the scale?"

"Yes sir; just how strong are you?"

"I don't think I want to discuss that. It's not my job and would be very arrogant of me to say who was stronger than who. I can tell you I don't think myself on the same level as Merlin if that's your question."

"But know this, even if every witch and wizard alive put down their wands, it would not stop the eventual destruction of the universe. We might see more house elves like Dobby who enjoy socks and are over enthusiastic in their attempts to help, or we might see a muggle nuclear war. The world is ending, but you get to choose how! Pick up your wands, give thanks to Eris, and let the new era of enlightenment begin!"

* * *

"Mr. Potter, must you keep pushing the boundaries with your lessons?"

"Of course Headmistress. We will never know our limits until we explore them. Besides, if I didn't have fun on Saturday nights we wouldn't get to have these lovely Sunday brunches."

"I guess its true then. Power corrupts. You're developing into a powerful wizard in your own right and now you've lost your mind. Was it really necessary to encourage self destructive behavior then invoke a goddess of chaos?"

"I don't know if it was necessary, but it was a lot of fun. I really will have to find out where you get this blend of tea, it's quite nice."

"Thank you. Did you realize that you had driven your friend Hermione insane too?"

"Really how so?"

"She was admitted to the Hospital wing this morning for a nervous breakdown she apparently suffered in the library. There are two things that girl holds sacred. Knowledge and orderliness. She went to the library hoping to find something to disprove your ideas, only to discover that if she did, she would only create more chaos as you re-taught a lesson."

"Thus proving my point. The universe always wins."

"Quite."

They sipped their tea in companionable silence for a short while and enjoyed some of Dobby's raspberry tarts. They were interrupted when a distinguished barn owl flew over and dropped a letter in Harry's lap.

"Well that's odd."

"What's wrong?"

"I just got a letter from Gringotts, I wasn't expecting any correspondence."

"Well open it up, it must be important, they don't have owls delivering simple statements wait for a reply as this one is."

"Good point Professor," he opened the letter cautiously as if expecting problems.

* * *

"_Mr. Potter-SaDiablo,_

_We regret to inform you that your presence is requested at the London branch of Gringotts at your earliest convenience. With the passing of Narcissa Malfoy, several questions have been raised about some of the accounts held at the bank. Also expected to attend are Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks. Please respond with an appropriate time that will fit your needs._

_Regards,_

_Igknot the Impetuous_

_Department of Wills and Succession_

_Gringotts Bank"

* * *

_

Harry passed the letter to Professor McGonagall.

"I didn't even know she had died. I know Draco passed on Wednesday, but I didn't know she passed too. That's two now."

"Two what?"

"Two death eaters who escaped what's coming. Professor, I don't have any lessons before lunch on Tuesday, may I leave the grounds to take care of this?"

"I suppose you may, you are of age after all. You will be back before time for lunch however." She sounded stern but loving.

"Thank you Professor. Now if you will excuse me I have a few letters to write."

* * *

_Dear Bill,_

_I appear to have gotten myself mixed up in some interesting business. Is there any way you would happen to know who those well dressed Goblins were at your wedding? It seems that something I said has set wheels in motion I never intended. Who were those goblins and what do they do for the Bank anyway?_

_In deep,_

_Harry

* * *

_

_Harry,_

_The most important probably would have been Grapnold from special services, and a few others from our curse breaking section. They are not goblins to trifle with or offend. They are absolutely ruthless when money is on the line. What's going on?_

_Confused,_

_Bill Weasley_

_P.S. That book isn't so bad. There were a lot of really… interesting things in there. Yeah I cut the hair, but that had nothing to do with the book. I am hoping to get a promotion into special services soon.

* * *

_

_Bill,_

_I think I know what special services means now. Let's just hope things work out now or else I might be asking you for a place to hide where the goblins won't find me. Speculation and conjecture at the party is leading to a lot of money changing hands, I think._

_Harry_

_P.S. That's the whole point of the book. I'm sorry, she's got you now. I'll miss you my brother._


	20. Gringotts

Disclaimer; Anything you recognize isn't mine. Things you don't recognize may not be mine either depending on how well read you are.

/_I am the last scion of a forgotten race, speaking through the minds of the weak. _/

* * *

Harry met Tonks and her mother outside Gringotts Tuesday morning before they opened their doors for business.

"Good morning Mrs. Tonks, Ms. Tonks, it is a pleasure to see you both I only wish it was under different circumstances."

"Harry, do you know what's going on? I can guess some of it since Aunt Narcissa did the world a favor and whacked herself, but why are you here?" Tonks the younger asked

"I don't know everything, but I know a great deal. Odds are we are all to be questioned regarding the deaths of the Malfoy family, and then so long as none of us were complicit in their deaths there will be a will reading. I wish to do something for you both now."

"What is that Mr. Potter? What do you know?" Andromeda stepped in.

"I swear on my magic I do not intend to act dishonorably towards the Houses of Tonks, Black, or Potter here today. It is my supposition that your two dear sisters worked things so that neither of you could inherit upon their deaths, or only the bare minimum. Did either of them welcome you back to the Black family when they had their turns as Lady Black?"

"No, but that would mean…"

"Exactly, there is the matter of the future of the Black family to be decided. I was Sirius' heir when he passed, but he like the two of you was disinherited. Unless I am mistaken, your sister was also Lady Lestrange and Lady Malfoy upon her death, though I could care less about their honor or names. I only care about the Black name because Sirius, and yourselves are some of the better people I have met in the wizarding world. Regardless of the rest of the family or its longstanding reputation, you three are good people and I respect you and by default your heritage. Regardless of what happens, I won't rob you of what is yours."

* * *

"Mr. Potter, Mrs. Tonks, Ms. Tonks, welcome. I am Igknot. We are here today primarily to read the last will and testament of Narcissa Malfoy. However, in light of recent events, the exact contents cannot be followed. We will need to revert to the Pure Blood Laws of 1327 to settle things completely. First however, there are some questions that need to be answered, we will be administering a truth potion to insure the results. It isn't as strong as veritaserum, it will allow you to not answer a question but not allow you to lie. Is this agreeable to everyone?"

There were three hesitant nods.

"Excellent. Mrs. Tonks, we will begin with you," a goblin administered the dose, "Did you kill, or were you involved in the deaths of Narcissa Malfoy or Draco Malfoy."

"No."

"Were you involved in planning their deaths?"

"No."

"What were your feelings towards the deceased?"

"Narcissa married a prick, and Draco was a spoiled child, but I loved them because they were family. In spite of all they did, I remember who my family is."

"That is sufficient."

The antidote was administered and Tonks answered similarly, but with less feeling towards her relatives. Harry's answers were the most interesting by far.

"Did you kill, or were you involved in the deaths of Narcissa Malfoy or Draco Malfoy."

"No."

"Were you involved in planning their deaths?"

"Oh I planned them, but they died before I got the chance to kill them. I had numerous plans for both of them, and how to avoid this questioning, but they escaped me. I am quite annoyed at that."

"What were your feelings towards the deceased?"

"I hated them both with the fiery passions of a thousand suns. I would have killed them both and gone to Azkaban gladly if I were caught. But they would have had the devil's own time trying to hold me there." Harry smirked at this last bit.

The others looked at Harry with open mouthed shock at what he had just admitted, but two of the goblin guards were grinning enough to show their teeth.

"No, Harry, tell us what you really feel. Don't bottle it up inside," Tonks joked as the antidote was administered.

"I will remind you that Draco was the one who allowed the Death Eaters into the school last spring. Especially Fenrir Greyback, who was by the way, the man who bit Remus Lupin and Bill Weasley. Why should I feel anything but hatred for someone whose choices and actions led to death and heart break?"

"Regardless, now that we are certain that none present were involved in the deaths, we can begin. At the time of her death, Narcissa Malfoy was responsible for the Malfoy, Black, and Lestrange Estates and all their titles and lands. Initially we had quite the problem on our hands. Lady Malfoy's will left everything either to her sister Bellatrix or her son Draco, both of whom pre-deceased her. This left three old pure blood families without an heir or heiress. All three Heirs apparent were for one reason or another ineligible, or so we thought. Mrs. Tonks was a Black prior to having been disinherited and cast from the family, her daughter was likewise never recognized by any of the lines concerned. Mr. Potter-SaDiablo here was the Heir to the last male Black, but he too was disinherited before he died."

"When we discovered no clear heir, we began researching the genealogy of the Black family looking for a blood tie to inherit so we could save the headache that would result from all three of you arguing your cases in front of the Wizengamot. We have decided Gringotts' position on this issue."

"What is it?" Tonks asked.

"You were born Harry James Potter?" Igknot asked.

"Yes, I was." Harry replied slowly, unsure where this was going.

"Son of James Potter and Lily Evans?"

"Yes."

"Grandson of Charlus Potter and Dorea Black?"

"I guess, I never knew my grandmother's name before now."

"Oh! Great Aunt Dorea, she was something of the White Sheep in the Black Family, I was never permitted to talk with her." Andromeda was beginning to catch on.

"Then in accordance with the Pure Blood Laws of 1327, you are recognized by Gringotts as Lord Baron Lestrange-Malfoy-Black-Potter-SaDiablo. We have no record of the SaDiablo Family, but we assume from its placement that it is either older or more powerful than the Potter Family in your opinion?"

"Wow that name is a mouthful. Yes, the SaDiablo family is both older and more powerful. It was founded over fifty thousand years ago by Saetan Daemon SaDiablo, and is the ruling family of several nations. It is however impossible to reach their territories without already knowing where they are. A daughter of the Family is currently attending Hogwarts if you wish to learn more about them."

"If you say so Lord Potter. Now, on to the paperwork. Please sign these."

"Very well, would you please hand me the papers for the Lestrange and Malfoy families first?"

"Certainly."

"Hey, I didn't know that the Malfoy family controlled the Daily Prophet!"

"Why do you think they sided with Fudge and slandered you so often?" Tonks supplied.

"I suppose it makes sense in a way, and it certainly explains Rita Skeeter. This could be very useful."

After he signed the papers for the first two families, he signed only the first paper naming him legal head of the Black Family before turning to Andromeda Tonks.

"As Lord Black, will you consent to rejoining this family and taking your rightful place in society?"

The two shared a glance. "We will."

"Very well, welcome back to the family cousin. I find I am unable to fulfill the duties of Lord Black, will you take up the mantle as Lady Black?"

Andromeda gasped, "If you are sure?"

"I told you when I came in today, I will not steal what is rightfully yours. Take the ring and claim your family's inheritance."

"Thank you. Just being welcomed back was enough, this is too much."

"It should have been yours in the first place, until the bigotry of your relatives robbed you. That I have more family is worth all the money in the world. Besides, I have plans for the Lestrange and Malfoy fortunes, plans they would never have approved of which makes them oh so sweet. By the way, Sirius left me the Black family home in London. It is under a Fidelius charm but when it is no longer useful, I will bring in some curse breakers to rip that down from the inside. You both will always be welcome there."

* * *

"Griphook, could you please escort me to someone who could help me open an account?"

"Certainly sir, please follow me." He led Harry down a set of corridors. "Enter, a goblin will be along in a few moments to assist you."

"Thank you. May your gold always flow."

"And yours." Griphook responded with a smile. This boy was learning new tricks every day it seemed. First it was respect, then Gobbledygook, and now traditional phrases.

A grumpy looking goblin entered. "I am Slipjaw. How can Gringotts help you today?"

"I wish to make some changes to my accounts. Firstly, I wish to open an Heirloom Vault for the SaDiablo Family. We have no previous dealings with this bank, but we have the backing and support of the Lestrange, Malfoy, Potter, and Black Families. When that is done, we will be combining the assets in their entirety of the Lestrange and Malfoy families into this new vault, plus half of the liquid assets of the Potter Family and everything in vaults 1295, 711, and 687."

"Is that all? I can begin gathering the paperwork." Slipjaw's eyes began to gleem at the prospect of the transaction fees he would earn for the bank today. That this young man could speak Gobbledygook so well only insured it would be fun. There were rumors about him, and it looked as if they were right.

"Unless you can also recommend an investment manager who is willing to follow odd orders in exchange for some handsome commissions that will be all." Harry replied offhandedly.

"I may know someone who would be interested. Shall I bring you his references and see if he will meet your requirements?"

"Thank you, I would greatly appreciate that."

After a few minutes Slipjaw returned with two folders and a stack of papers. "These are the papers you will need, and the folders represent the curriculum vitae of myself and Ulrich. We would both consider handling your accounts."

"Ulrich the Unshakable from Special Services? Most interesting, I will review them both closely. My thanks to the both of you." He started in on the papers.

"How do you know Ulrich?"

"Bill Weasley of the curse breakers speaks very highly of him, he mentioned he was hoping to move into special services soon."

"Interesting."

Harry looked over the C.V.'s in front of him. Ulrich had more experience in the bank, but less in actual investing. Slipjaw didn't have nearly as many connections, but was very well placed in certain areas.

"Slipjaw, would a salary of 650 galleons monthly and a three percent commission on transactions interest you?"

"Hmm… I'll take six hundred, but I want five percent."

"Very wise choice, for the next few months you will make money hand over fist that way, more so than with the lesser commission. You are hired good sir. "

"Excellent, now what are these odd orders you were talking about?"

"Well I would like to begin by placing all of my properties except the one under Fidelius in London and the Godric's Hollow property under interdiction to prevent anyone from entering. I would like to exclude house elves from that interdiction order as they will assist me in readying them for the second stage. I will be selling all of the properties with the exceptions of the previous two and the Mediterranean bungalow. I will also be divesting myself of all stock held under the SaDiablo name, leaving the Potter Estate untouched. Once this is accomplished, we will begin buying land and houses in and around Godric's Hollow. The goal is to create the largest possible estate in that area of adjoining properties. It is permissible to bankrupt the SaDiablo estate of liquid assets to do this but the Potter Vault must not drop below fifty thousand galleons nor are the stocks to be sold. The Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire is to be auctioned off rather than sold outright, I firmly believe that it will sell for more this way. All of my stocks with the exception of the controlling stake in the Daily Prophet I now seem to have are also to be sold to fund this land grab."

"You know something Mr. Potter. Would you care to let the rest of us in on it?"

"I know many things. I cannot say for certain, but after Halloween you will see my hand. A great deal of money, stock, and property is about to change hands on a scale unheard of since the black plague killed half of muggle Britain. Power is shifting. The New Year will see a new Elite. And you are helping to form it."

"Very interesting, this has potential."

"Remember the Golden Rule; whoever has the gold makes the rules. This also applies to business and lands. Enough of all three are about to change hands that if the Goblins were prepared to spend their gold, the Ministry would be serving you before next Christmas. The Malfoy influence is chump change compared to what is about to start moving. You have to spend money to make money."

* * *

"Hey mate, where'd you disappear to this morning?" Ron asked at lunch.

"I spent the morning talking with the goblins down at Gringotts. Did you know that the Malfoys owned the Daily Prophet?"

"No, but it makes sense with the way they are always bad mouthing you."

"Well, not anymore. I no longer have to worry about the Prophet."

"Why not?"

"Because I now own it. Oh, and I got a couple of cousins out of the deal too!"

Ron just about choked on his sandwich. "What? How and Who?"

"I own the Daily Prophet. When Malfoy's mum killed herself, the money and stuff went to the Black family since she was the last of the Malfoys. My grandmother was a Black and the rest of the family was either dead or disowned. I took the Malfoy loot, gave the Black stuff to Tonks and her Mum (after making them Blacks again), and ended up with more family than I left with."

"So Malfoy who we've been enemies with since first year was…"

"…my second or third cousin apparently. There was probably some degrees of removal too, but I am no good at that crap."

"Blimey. You know for a guy who says money doesn't matter you seem to have a lot of it."

"And I've told you Ron, if you ever decide that you are not too proud to take my money, just let me know. What's mine is yours and you know it, just let me know soon huh? I am about to start spending it by the boatload and will soon be a poor man if things don't work out like I have planned."

"What could you be doing that's going to break the Potter and Malfoy Families?"

"SaDiablo actually, I am throwing all of the assets I can against a certain project for after the war. The Potter Family won't be broke, but only because I won't do that to any children I may have. Though realistically if my plan doesn't work I am unlikely to live to have children, but that isn't the point. I pooled all my wealth and some of my family wealth under the name SaDiablo so I could have some anonymity while I set the world on its ear."

"What do you have planned?"

"Why is it everyone asks me that? I've got a plan both for the war and for the royal shit storm that will occur afterwards. I will reveal the public plan on Halloween in a letter to the Wizarding world. When you read the letter, remember that I love you and your family. Hermione too. I will explain to you three the motives behind it and some of the plan then, but the letter itself will make a lot of people very angry. And a lot more very scared. I am here for you guys no matter how the plan works or fails. The war is starting in earnest and I don't forget my allies."

* * *

"Dobby!"

A sharp crack echoes in the quiet halls. "You called for Dobby?"

"Dobby, I want to make an offer to you. How would you feel about becoming the Head Elf for the Most Ancient and Noble House of SaDiablo."

"Dobby has never heard of SaDiablo except for the little first year girl. Why is Harry Potter Sir asking Dobby?"

"Lucy is my sister. I am Lord Baron Lestrange-Malfoy-Black-Potter-SaDiablo. Please don't ask me to repeat that. I am asking you to work for me."

"You is a Malfoy?" Fear crept into Dobby's eyes.

"No, all of your old masters and mistresses are dead, I now hold their title. You may still wear clothes and be paid if you wish, and you will always be free. If you don't want to work for me any longer, just tell me and you could leave."

"Dobby will do it, what is your first order?"

"My first order is that you are not allowed to hurt yourself. My second order is to ask you to help me clean out my homes of valuables. At midnight tonight, all my homes are to be interdicted by the goblins so no one can enter them. I want you to go to the homes on this list and clean them of important things. First you must grab all the books from the libraries; and then go back for business papers, magical objects of all sorts, and anything of great importance. Furniture, silverware, and the like I have no interest in. I suspect that the Death Eaters are using Malfoy Manor or one of their other properties for a base. If they are, please help anyone trapped inside to escape to a hospital once the interdiction happens. Leave everything you find in the library at Headquarters, remember when I showed you that?"

Dobby nodded.

"Great, I will come over there sometime this weekend to move it to its new home. Recruit any house elves you find on these properties to help you. You are my Head Elf, they follow you now. When you are done in one home, they should follow you to the next. All of you will be expected to answer my call this weekend to help move the items again. Remember; Libraries, then business, then magical objects, and then other valuables. That is the priority."

"It will be done right away Master Harry."

"Please, no master. I am just Harry and that is an order."

"Yes… Harry."


	21. Halloween

Disclaimer; The usual disclaimer found most anywhere on applies, just rearrange for who owns what. I as usual am lacking in ownership of anything besides this wonderful glass of tea that quenches my thirst.

* * *

Harry was absent for most of the following week with the exception of classes, a fact that did not go unnoticed by his friends. Hermione was miffed. 

"Ron, Ginny, have either of you seen Harry? I haven't seen him since Defense and it's nearly curfew. Even if he is Head Boy he should set an example."

"No, I got the feeling he was working on a project of some sorts, but no one knows what it is really. I haven't had a chance to grab him since he came back from Gringotts on Tuesday." Ron said thoughtfully.

"Have you tried asking Lucy?" Ginny asked. "She might know, or else we can get Mr. Shadow to look for him. He does the mind speaking thing like Harry, so that ought to help."

"No, I hadn't thought to ask Lucy. It's a good suggestion though. Ron, did he say anything to you that seemed odd?"

"He did mention that he had a plan for the war, and it was going to cost him a massive amount of money. As in he will be making three or four Great Families as poor as the Weasley family is infamous for being."

"That's definitely intriguing. I have no clue what that is about, but it is on my list of things to ask now. Wait, Ginny, did you say Mr. Shadow? Do you and Lucy know who one of the mysterious new Marauders is?"

"I think I might know two actually. Something that Shadow said to me tipped me off towards Tundros. The other two are complete unknowns, but I'm sure there is a common link somehow."

"Go find Lucy and let's hope for some answers."

Ginny left to the girls dorms and returned with the first year in tow. Lucy was reading a book she brought from home discussing dream webs and their uses. Even if she wasn't born a Widow like her parents, she hoped to train as one at least. But she had time; Black Widows didn't show inborn ability until puberty at least.

"Lucy, do you know where Harry has been hiding?" Hermione asked.

"No, do you want me to send him a message? Or should we just go have an adventure and track him down? Harry says you've had lots of adventures with him."

"It's nothing urgent, let's go find him and see if we can sneak up on him and see what he's working on!" Ginny suggested. "I'm curious what has kept his interest so steadily and why he is keeping us out of it."

* * *

The two intrepid Gryffindors set out to search the castle, working their way down to the ground floor, towards the dungeon. They were just passing the Hufflepuff common room when Lucy suddenly turned her head sharply. 

"This way," she said pointing down a corridor, "Harry is over there."

"How can you tell?" Ginny queried.

"Someone over there is using Red magic. It must be either Harry or Kaelas, since it is definitely male. I haven't been using Craft to search for him because I wanted him surprised, but now that I'm close I know generally where he is."

"What do you mean Red magic? And how can you tell whoever it is happens to be male."

"Harry has a red jewel, his magic feels red when he uses it. And because I can sense the magic, I can tell it is a male using it. It has a different flavor I guess."

"Oh, Harry mentioned his necklace was like a wand. How does my magic feel?"

"Well since you don't have a jewel to stabilize you it varies depending on how tired you are. Most times it seems like a nice deep green Ginny. Right now though it seems weaker and you might want to ask Harry for some special tea. It will make you feel better."

"I always did like green; it reminds me of his eyes. Why should I ask him for tea? I feel fine, or as close to fine as I can right now."

"Exactly, this tea is probably better described as a potion. It will make things easier for you every month."

"Oh."

They came to a dead end and Lucy just stopped to stare at it with an odd look on her face.

"I can't see anything that would normally indicate a secret door, but I know that Harry is about fifteen feet past this wall. Do you know what's down here?"

"I don't know of anything here. Are you sure?"

"Yes, he's just over there," she said pointing behind and to the left of the wall's center. "I've got an idea, come with me over here."

They moved to a spot further down the hallway and off to one side.

"Lucy, why do we need to stand here?"

"So we can do this!" She grabbed the older girl's arm and the two of them disappeared.

Ginny was caught up in unusual sensations. She felt Lucille's magic wrap her up as though in a warm blanket and then they side stepped from reality. Everything was suddenly different and she could barely see her surroundings as she felt them pulled along towards and through the wall. She was really kind of freaked out as they passed through the walls and rock of Hogwarts as if ghosts and slid forward. Suddenly, they were back in an open area and she felt them come back into reality.

"What in the blazes was that?" Ginny practically screamed.

"Great Googally-Moogally! Don't sneak up on me like that! How did you get here any way?" Harry nearly jumped out of his skin as the two girls appeared behind him.

"The answer is the same for both of you. We rode the winds."

"That's how Harry gets around these days? Well count me out that was freaky."

"There aren't any winds that run over us here. That is part of why I chose this spot."

"Yes there are, they are just embedded in the stones instead of hanging from the sky. See, there is one that travels right through here. It's like Hogwarts has its own miniature network of winds."

"Those aren't winds, those are wards. I never thought you could travel along the wards. I guess it makes sense, they do still carry magic where it is needed."

"Where are we anyway?" Ginny was starting to notice her surroundings. It looked as though she had arrived in a small common room all on its own, and noticed a few doors along one wall and torches set in sconces. Beyond Harry a new doorway was taking shape, but it appeared to only be a rough tunnel at this point.

"I don't suppose I could ask you not to talk about this?" Harry looked guilty of something; she just didn't know what yet…

"You can ask all you want, but if you don't tell me I will ask other people." Ginny shot back.

"Ok, fine… I guess I'll have to show the two of you my secret before I am finished. Welcome fair ladies, to the Manor of Mischief, home to the Marauders of Hogwarts. When I am gone and but a memory to the students and staff, this hidden suite of rooms shall be my legacy for the future. I haven't got around to making the entrance yet, but it will be in that passage over there near the Hufflepuff common area. Right now it is quite a hike up form the Chamber of Secrets through one of the many tunnels. When I get the portal installed, I will seal up the back entrance and you'll never know it was there."

"Wait a minute," Ginny said, "This is your great plan? You're making new secret rooms in a castle full of secrets? And just how did you do it anyway?"

"Not just a set of rooms, but I am making a fake history too. This is the prank of ages trust me. The actual work was pretty simple. I came as far up this tunnel as I could, then began with blasting curses and the stone cutting spell Daemon taught me to hollow the rooms out. After that some light transfiguration gave everything a polished and neat appearance, and all that's missing are those little touches of home. I finished the common area and bedrooms, and am working on the library. The entry hall and portal are next. We're going to have a full library and store of supplies down here for fun-making purposes."

"Why have you been avoiding us all week? It's not like there is a big rush to get this done."

"Well, I actually need a place to put a lot of things. I've got the combined libraries from four old families that I need to stash someplace safe at least until the war is over. I need to move them this weekend. I also need a place to sort through any magical items these families might have had. Some I will need to destroy for certain, but others might be useful. I at least need somewhere to work soon. That's what these rooms really represent, a place for rule-breakers to work without fear of being seen. And with Halloween coming next week, I am going to need somewhere to hide too."

"I suppose that makes as much sense as any other reason. So I take it this means you really are Mr. Tundros? And just who are your other two accomplices?"

"Who told on me?"

"Kaelas insists on calling you Kae Tundros. Then McGonagall called _him _Mr. Shadow. Things were kind of obvious after that."

"The really fun thing is that the Headmistress doesn't know Kaelas isn't an animagus so it is driving her batty. I admitted I knew of another animagus in the school aside from her, she assumes it is Kaelas and therefore ignored the chances it was me."

"Oh that's rich. But who are your two female pranksters?"

"Well, you came here with the esteemed Ms. Flutter-bee," Lucy curtsied, "and Ms. Snow you should guess without any hints. Consider that she made everyone lay eggs and suggested they visit the owlery…"

"Hedwig is Ms. Snow? Wow, you guys are insane… I never would have imagined including animals in a prank team."

"Don't let Kaelas hear you call him an animal, he doesn't take it well. Use Kindred instead. And they are always interested in making humans look foolish. You should hear some of the gossip that goes on in the owlery."

"Can I see your owl form now? You've never shown me."

Harry popped into his owl form and flew to her arm. She cooed and flattered him a bit, clearly excited by his animal self. Eventually he reverted to human form and suggested that it might be time to return soon. It was by now well after curfew. Ginny was leery about riding the wards again, having been unnerved by her first trip, but was even more unwilling to go through the Chamber of Secrets to get out. Harry decided he ought to work on the door soon.

* * *

That weekend Harry met up with his over excited House Elves, who were happy to be in service once again. Dobby, Tippy, Gofer, Tibbles, and Stewey were quite thorough apparently. There was a large assortment of random junk next to the neat stacks of books. Harry wouldn't normally consider the charmed candles from beside a bed "magical objects" but the House Elves had grabbed every last one in their quest to prove their worth. After moving the books (including those from Grimmauld Place) and magical objects to the new library in Hogwarts, Harry gave his Elves a new task. 

"This will sound like a very odd order, but it must be done as quickly as possible. Malfoy Manor is to be sold. Most likely Death Eaters will buy it hoping to get everything back. Your job is to strip that house of every possible thing of use. Every piece of furniture, every rug, and every painting must go. If it isn't nailed down, move it somewhere else. Move it to the attic here if you have to, or just to one of the other houses. Ensure that whoever gets that house doesn't get a bargain."

* * *

The next Friday was Halloween and the Marauders struck for the third time. This time it was relatively simple. A minor cosmetic charm was placed over every doorway between the Houses and the Great Hall. When the students arrived for breakfast, they were all in for a show. 

The Slytherin students were incensed to be dressed in crimson and gold robes. Like wise the Gryffindor contingent was less than pleased to be dressed in green and silver. The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Houses were a bit easier going about it and swapped tables for the day so their robes would match the table they sat at.

The real shock however came when people received the day's Daily Prophet and read the headline.

* * *

**Harry Potter Declares War!**

**By Harry James Potter**

_Dear Wizarding World,_

_Listen up because I am only going to say this once. I am sick and tired of being the selfless hero, the savior of the wizarding world, and most certainly tired of being the whipping boy, so I am going to offer you all a deal. This is very simple, and it won't cost you a thing to give me what I want._

_There was a prophecy made a long time ago, "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… Born as the seventh month dies, born to those who have thrice defied him… And the Dark Lord shall mark him as his equal but he shall have a power the Dark Lord knows not. One must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives… The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… Born as the seventh month dies..."_

_So there you have it, I am the only one who can defeat the Dark Lord apparently. I kill him or he kills me, that is the only way either of us can die. The entirety of the Auror Corps could cast the killing curse at him and he would be up and around within the week. I've already survived being bitten by a basilisk and swarmed by over a hundred Dementors, not to mention the constant harassment of every Death Eater out to make a name for himself. _

_Unfortunately, the wizarding world has not been so kind to me that I particularly feel inclined to save you all. I will fight for my friends and family, but that's as far as I feel obligated. The rest of you bastards are going to have to pay me. Aurors get paid, Hit-wizards get paid, even muggle policemen and military get paid. The first time I gave you a freebie for fourteen years or so, now lets see if I can do better eh? This is one savior who doesn't work for free._

_I can defeat Voldemort, I can defeat his death eaters, but it all comes down to how I am going to be paid for my services. Here are my demands;_

_1) The properties and wealth of Voldemort supporters are forfeit. I will receive half of their wealth and property as bounty while the remaining half will be used to help the families and victims._

_2) The properties and wealth of Tom Marvolo Riddle is forfeit. I will collect this in its entirety as bounty._

_3) After the war is over and Voldemort is defeated, I will be granted Sovereignty within the boundaries of my estate. In return, I will give up all three Wizengamot seats under my control and renounce my citizenship. I won't interfere with British politics and they won't interfere with mine. I merely wish to be left to live in peace._

_4) In the event of my death before the war is completed, the Potter family estate and all seized funds are forfeit to the British government under breach of contract._

_5) I will swear a Wizard's Oath never to turn Dark._

_As you can see, this costs the law abiding citizens of magical Britain nothing, but is very costly to Dark Wizards. The only people who should oppose this or have anything to fear are Dark Wizards. If you hear someone protesting, consider their possible motives. I will be willing to testify under veritaserum about anyone I claim to be a Death Eater. _

_I can and will defeat Voldemort. I will start with his Death Eaters and kill them one by one. He will watch and count as they disappear or die slowly. He will watch as his forces are vanquished. With each passing day he will know that I am one step closer to his door. Then, when he is alone and defenseless I will come and personally escort him to Hell where he belongs._

_Ah, but I hear the Dark Lord gloating already, he thinks his horcruxes would prevent me from killing him. Sorry Tom, I've got bad news for you. I know all about your Horcruxes and know how to find them. You will die, it is inevitable._

_The Ministry has until December 25, 1997 to accept my terms. If they refuse, I will leave the wizarding world and you will see if you prefer an immortal dark lord. Any Death Eater wishing to not die a violent painful death will surrender to the Ministry before the New Year and give a full and complete confession under veritaserum. The rest will be hunted like dogs into extinction. I will arrive at the Ministry just before midnight on the twenty fourth of December to sign a binding magical contract with the Ministry or to announce the defeat of the British Wizarding World because their leaders could not do what needed to be done._

_The really nice part of this arrangement is that everybody gets what they want. The citizens get to live in a safe world. The ministry gets someone else to deal with the problems THEY created. And once the mercenary gets paid, there is no annoying Hero wanting praise or adoration. Just a hired hand who you can dismiss as below your notice like you want._

_So, either hire the most expensive mercenary the world has ever seen or start practicing your groveling. _

_Chose Wisely,_

_Lord Baron Harry James Lestrange-Malfoy-Black-Potter-SaDiablo_

The Great Hall ate breakfast in silence, or rather Harry ate breakfast and everyone stared at him in shock and disbelief. Had their hero finally abandoned them?


	22. The Veil

Disclaimer; The Usual.

* * *

The doors to the Great Hall burst open as Harry was finishing his breakfast, Rufus Scrimegour and his pet Aurors stalked over to the Gryffindor table.

"Harry James Potter, by order of the Minister of Magic you are under arrest for treason against the Crown. You are ordered to surrender your wand and accompany us to Azkaban where you will await trial." The lead Auror held an official looking scroll for him to read as the students gaped.

"Very well," Harry handed them one of the wands he had captured over the summer, "I suppose there is no point in denying anything. Let's see how long this takes. Don't worry Ginny, I won't forget our date tonight for the ball. You be ready and I'll be there." He kissed her forehead as the Aurors snapped the wand he gave them.

"No, you won't Mister Potter, or whatever you are calling yourself these days." The Minister said, "You will be sitting in Azkaban under the watchful eyes of the Aurors. Dawlish, Simmons, take him to the ministry for questioning."

The Aurors escorted Harry from the hall and he had the sheer nerve to give a cheeky wave to McGonagall as he left. The students were in shock from the trials and tribulations of the morning. First the robes, then the newspaper, and now this! Had the world gone mad?

* * *

Harry leaned back on his bed, today was going to be the best Halloween he had ever had.

* * *

"Dawlish, administer the veritaserum, let's find out how much of his gibberish is true." 

The Auror did so. "State your name for the record."

"I am Arthur, King of the Britans at Camelot, but my friends call me Harry."

"Are you sure the veritaserum is working?" the Minister asked Dawlish, who merely nodded. This was not the way it was supposed to work.

"Very well, are you guilty of treason against the Crown by way of threatening to allow the destruction of our way of life through inaction?"

"I am the Crown, ergo there is no treason."

"Are you attempting to claim not guilty by reason of insanity?"

"No, I am perfectly sane."

"Please list anything you have done that would be considered a crime were you not the King you claim to be."

"By severity of the offense or by when they occurred?"

"By the severity of your crimes please, most important first."

"One count opening a portal to Hell, one count illegal time travel, one count changing the past for personal gain, thirty two counts murder in the first degree, fourteen counts of using the cruciartus curse on a human being, two counts attempted use of cruciartus curse against a human being, four counts accessory to murder, two counts breaking into the Department of Mysteries, twelve counts arson, unknown number of counts aiding and abetting Sirius Black, seven counts using blood magic on British soil, five counts performing an unauthorized ritual at Stonehenge, one count participating in an unauthorized ritual at Stonehenge, one hundred thirteen counts trespassing, twelve counts breaking and entering, one count belonging to the illegal vigilante group "The Secret Sect of the Flaming Penguins", two counts impersonating a Clergyman of the Church of England, fourteen counts impersonating a goat, three counts impersonating the Minister of Magic, one count impersonating the Pope, two counts impersonating King Henry VIII, one count impersonating Anne Boleyn, three counts underage use of magic, two counts using magic in the presence of muggles, one future count slandering a public official."

"Fourteen counts impersonating a goat?"

"It is more fun than first appears."

"One future count slandering a public official?"

"When the veritaserum wears off I intend to call Rufus Scrimegour an insufferable buffoon."

"Were the claims you made in this morning's Daily Prophet true?"

"To the best of my knowledge they are completely true."

"Did you correctly state your intent to abandon the British people to the Dark Lord?"

"Only if my demands are not met. On second thought, add one count blackmail or larceny or whatever this is to my confession."

"Duly noted, tell us about this "Secret Sect of the Flaming Penguins"."

"Originally called the Order of the Phoenix, and founded by Albus Dumbledore, the Secret Sect of the Flaming Penguins is a vigilante group who seeks to fight Death Eaters and Tom Riddle. I was a junior member for some time, but left the group after they disagreed with my treatment of prisoners. They thought to stun and bind prisoners to be handed over to the Ministry, I thought they ought to be killed. The members are not known to me except Sirius Orion Black, Albus Dumbledore, and Severus Snape who turned traitor."

"I've heard enough! Dawlish give him the antidote. Harry James Potter, after confessing to murder and other crimes too numerous to mention, you are hereby sentenced to death. You will be escorted to the Veil of Death in the Department of Mysteries and cast through. Do you have any last words?" The minister looked mighty pleased with himself. Maybe once Potter was gone the prophecy would be void and the Aurors could do their jobs.

"Actually I do have two last things to say. Firstly, you are an insufferable buffoon Mister Scrimegour. Lastly spells don't kill people, people kill people (and monkeys can kill people too, if they have a gun)!"

**

* * *

SPECIAL EDITION!**

**Minister Scrimegour Abandons British People To Dark Lord!**

**By Istill Liven**

_In a shocking move this morning Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, was executed after being arrested on charges of treason. Mister Potter, who was prophesied to be the only one able to defeat the Dark Lord Voldemort, announced this morning that he would not do it for free. The Ministry took offense and arrested him shortly before nine this morning at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was taken to the Ministry where he was questioned under veritaserum before being sentenced to the veil of death._

_In an unusual twist, insiders report that Mister Potter claimed to be King Arthur when questioned under veritaserum. This was just one of a number of anomalies in the official transcript. Supposedly Mr. Potter, or King Arthur as we now know him to be, was involved in a group called the Secret Sect of the Flaming Penguins, and has impersonated the Pope._

_According to our inside sources, Mister Potter's last words before pulling an impressive double back flip through the Veil speculated on the martial prowess of an army of monkeys with muggle weapons. He also called the Minister a buffoon._

_With Mr. Potter gone, who will defeat the Dark Lord?_

See the full transcript of Mr. Potter's questioning inside on page three.

* * *

"Professor McGonagall, I need to speak with you." 

"Mr. Potter, what are you doing here, they arrested you this morning. Normally it takes them a few days at least before they can recognize a person's innocence."

"Sadly, that is not true in my case. Headmistress it is my sad duty to inform you that you will need to find a replacement Head Boy and Gryffindor Quidditch captain."

"Why? What's going on?"

"Well as of about fifteen minutes ago, I have been executed. Officially I am now dead. Being dead kind of puts a damper on my ability to fulfill my duties."

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, they hauled me off and questioned me with veritaserum until I gave them reason enough to execute me. It was quite funny some of the things I confessed too. They automatically assume that since I took veritaserum I was telling the truth."

"But that's what veritaserum is for!"

"I know. They never stopped to make sure they had the real me before putting me on trial and questioning me. So I just told them an interesting confession, and let them kill me."

"But if you are here, who did they kill?"

"Good question isn't it? Don't worry about that, no one was killed. I just created a magical puppet that they could arrest, gave them a wand to snap, and let them assume the rest. Since I didn't actually take any veritaserum, I could make the puppet say anything I wanted. And now that I have been punished for all my "crimes" I can't be tried again. It is quite liberating to be dead."

"Do I want to know?"

"No, just don't ask me how, or why. Trust me you don't want those answers. You may however enjoy this afternoon's paper. There is a special edition about to come out with my full confession. It is a fun read."

"Is anything in it true?"

"Some, but not the parts you would expect. I'm not really King Arthur, and I have never impersonated a goat. The rest you will have to decide for yourself. You've known me long enough to know my character."

"I should hope so."

"If it is not too much trouble, may I continue to attend classes and stay at the castle? I could be another House Ghost for Gryffindor… Maybe Sir Nicholas could use the company."

"Can't you just stay dead like everyone else? Give me some of that Gryffindor Courage and get out of my office."

"If I wasn't the one causing these headaches, I'd be charging you know… Well I am off to collect my death certificate."

* * *

Harry lost three more shadows before he finally got his death certificate, but only because he stopped sending in clones of himself. His shadows kept getting veritaserum and sent to the veil after claiming to be King Arthur. One claiming to be seventh year Hufflepuff Steven Clark eventually got the paperwork and returned to Harry.

* * *

He returned to Hogwarts and sat next to his openly weeping friends at the feast. 

"Hey Gin, pass the roast beef would you?" Harry asked politely with a hint of mirth.

"Ok Harry," she gave it to him with a depressed look, then did a double take. "HARRY! You're alive!"

"Yeah, no thanks to the ministry. They threw me through the Veil three times today and gave me the Dementors' Kiss once before throwing that body through the veil. I was starting to get annoyed. Hermione, do you think I could sue them for double jeopardy? I don't think it is legal to punish someone multiple times for the same crimes."

"You were Kissed and thrown through the Veil multiple times? That is definitely not legal. Not to mention impossible."

"Stupid prophecy. Only Voldemort can really kill me. But when I went to get my death certificate for Gringotts records they executed me again. Why can't they just hire a mercenary like normal people? I set a price, all they had to do was say yes or no. I'm tempted to raise that price now, but they don't have anything I want. I don't even want the money except that it makes sure they leave me alone after the war."

"You are doing this so people will leave you alone?" Ron asked, "That's barmy, nobody in their right mind would try that."

"No, it isn't this way no one will thank me. They will either assume I am a greedy git or that I was paid handsomely for my services. I'm not doing this for them anyway. I am doing it for me, my parents, and everyone he killed or hurt. But enough of this depressing talk; let's go get ready for the party. Tonight, I shall be King Arthur of course, Ginny are you going to keep our date now that I'm dead?"

"Of course, you promised to be here and you are, so I will keep my end."

"Great, make a note for the future though to avoid the phrase "till death do us part" if we ever get married. I would hate a stupid thing like death to accidentally divorce me."

* * *

"Slipjaw, it is good to see you again. May your gold always flow. I need to see what is going to happen now that I am dead. Can I retroactively will everything to myself? Or just will it to my sister with myself as trustee until she comes of age?" 

"Are you sure you are dead?"

"Well according to the Ministry I died several times yesterday. Between being kissed and thrown through that damn veil, I died four or five times I think. It depends on how you count. I've got my death certificate right here."

"This has never happened before."

"So I am told. How about we agree that in the future any reports of my death need to be verified by my next of kin before we process any wills?"

"That sounds doable. So when do you plan to announce your changed status?"

"I believe it is traditional to wait until Sunday to rise from the dead if killed on a Friday by an oppressive government. That's what the other fellow did a couple millennia back. If it is good enough for the son of God himself, it is good enough for me."

"Then shouldn't you spend the intervening time in the underworld?"

"I spent a few days in Hell over the summer; I think that will have to count. Saetan isn't as bad as everyone makes him out to be."

"If you say so Mr. Potter."

"Do you think I will get my own holiday? I'm not sure about the rabbits and eggs, but everyone can use another excuse to eat chocolate."

"Somehow I doubt it. If I recall, you were actually guilty of your crimes."

"Not all of them."

"If you say so Mr. Potter. We will need a blood sample to verify your identity."

"No problem, I'm not as superstitious about blood as some wizards seem to be."

"Hmm… Yes it appears you actually are Harry Potter, full blooded Potter of the Line of Gryffindor and all that rot…"

"Wait, of the line of Gryffindor?"

"Yes, surely you know your family history? Edward Potter married Godric Gryffindors only daughter, and the money he made from the school is what elevated the Potters from being mere potters to being businessmen and a powerful family. The family no longer owns such a large part of the school, having sold it to make their fortune, but you do own some. Has no one told you this?"

"No, this is the first I have heard of it, but it is good to know. It certainly explains a few things. The rivalry that started with Slytherin and Gryffindor themselves continues to this day in myself and Voldemort… That is why he marked me as his equal. The last heirs of the founders, trying to settle the old blood feud. And it explains Draca's "Heir of Griffons" vision too. Intriguing."

"Quite, well if that is all you needed for today I will let you get back to being dead. I need to meet with my superiors about all this. You can never leave well enough alone can you Mr. Potter? At least now I understand your cryptic comments and odd orders. You are trying to set yourself up a small independent paradise for after the war. Very forward thinking. Well done."

**

* * *

Harry Potter Returns From the Dead to Sue Ministry**

**By Ester Hols**

_In a move reminiscent of Easter traditions around the world, Harry Potter has beaten death. The Ministry of Magic executed Potter on Friday morning, and he was seen walking down Diagon Alley early Sunday._

_When asked for comment, Mr. Potter said he would be suing the Ministry for double jeopardy. "I was sentenced to be sent through the Veil, so I went. When I came back to the ministry later in the day and asked for my death certificate, they threw me through again. They did this twice and the third time I asked they had a Dementor Kiss me before sending my body through the veil. It is illegal to punish a person twice for the same crime. I served my sentence, and they did it again! What is next a killing curse? Are we going to try for a good old fashioned burning at the stake? Hanging? Beheading? I told you folks that only the Dark Lord could kill me, but you didn't listen."_

_He refused to comment on how he returned from beyond the Veil or his previous claims to be King Arthur. He did have the following to say regarding his previous public statement; "My offer still stands. Agree to my terms and the war can begin as soon as you want, refuse and I leave. Let's not have any more jealous politicians trying to kill your only hope, it doesn't work."_

_The Ministry refused to comment when asked._


	23. The Manor of Mischief

Disclaimer: JKR is a genius. Anne Bishop is a Genius. I am a talent-less hack with a keyboard.

/_This remains mental speech. _/

A/N; I'm sincerely sorry I haven't updated in three weeks, I've had real life issues playing havoc with me, and a mild case of writers block. I prefer to bang out two or three chapters at once, but recently have barely been able to string a paragraph together. Time to get the blood flowing again.

* * *

Harry sat back and surveyed his work, after weeks of effort the Manor of Mischief was finally finished. While more a suite than a full manor, it was an impressive feat nonetheless. The official entrance near the Hufflepuff common room was the finest bit of enchantment he had ever done. It looked like a dead end passageway, but if one examined the wall carefully, there were four slight indentations in the wall. By placing four wands in the indentations and saying the correct pass phrase 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good' (of course) the wall would become like the one that protected platform 9 ¾ in London. Proceeding inwards, there were coat hooks for people to hang their robes. A small cupboard set into the wall contained four "liberated" invisibility cloaks (stolen from the Death Eaters), self sizing boots with built in silencing charms to mask the sounds of footsteps, and a few broomsticks (none new or expensive, but in working order). The door at the end of the entryway is a true work of art that Harry had commissioned from a craftsman in Kaleer. The door itself was a dark brown wood that had an almost golden sheen when brightly polished, with the Hogwarts crest done in brilliantly polished brass.

The common area had a large fireplace and a fine oriental rug that used to sit in the parlor of Malfoy Manor, with a modestly sized divan decorated in each of the house colors. The ceiling in the common area was charmed like that in the Great Hall. Dobby had worked a bit of his House Elf magic to connect the fireplace to the chimneys that served the kitchens. He also worked all the air freshening and conditioning charms throughout the suite. Four bedrooms and the library opened into the common area. The side passage up the chamber of secrets had been closed off and all traces now concealed behind a tapestry depicting the Third Merman Revolution of 1396 (why there were three separate mermen revolutions in 1396 alone will forever remain a mystery to Harry, as will why someone wove a tapestry of such a thing).

The library was large and contained all the duplicates from any family library he had raided, plus a few he special ordered for just this purpose. Not all of the new books were wizarding books even. He found that muggle bookstores had quite a few books on jokes and pranks, not to mention the slight of hand and illusions they called "magic". Slight of hand and illusion seemed like just the thing aspiring pranksters and fun-makers needed to get by. There were also numerous books on logic, philosophy, manipulation, lying believably, subtle interrogation, and the art of spycraft. Between Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, Kant, and Descartes one might accidentally stumble upon an education in this library. Not that it would be intentional of course. The wizarding books covered nearly every subject imaginable; books on charms, potions, animagi, wards, enchantments, and all manner of transfigurations. There were a few books that were borderline on being Dark Arts, but nothing truly harmful. All of those were stashed in a collection of trunks down in the Chamber with all of the furnishings and other goods stripped by the House Elves.

Each bedroom was built around a theme and charmed accordingly. Variations of the skylight charm showed scenes indicative of each primal element. The Fire room showed an active volcano on the walls, warming charms kept it warm but not uncomfortably so. The bed itself was carved from deep black basalt, the mattress covered in rich red sheets. The Water room depicted a tropical isle, sounds of surf and the smell of salty sea air matched perfectly with the hammock strung between two fake palm trees. The Earth room had a forest theme, subtle birdsong and the rustle of leaves matched the rich earthy smell of the room. The bed was actually in a tree house of sorts in one corner. The Air room was the most difficult to handle. In addition to the skylight charm on the ceiling and clouds on all four walls, the floor was charmed to give the appearance of being several thousand feet above Hogwarts. The bed was actually only a floating mattress dressed in light blue sheets and surrounded by mist, a light breeze always blew through the room.

Expansion charms had been used where needed to provide high ceilings and to expand the library.

It had taken nearly a month and a half, but it was worth it. Here was his Hogwarts legacy, forever carved into the living mountain. Over time, the enchantments would fail, the charms would wear off and the room may even be forgotten, but for now, it was his. He had kept detailed notes on everything he had done, the enchantments used and the incantations for all his charms. Hopefully whenever his spell work began to fail, his records would lead others to do the repairs. Only the carving of the rooms themselves required Jewel magic so it should be within the realms of what seventh year students could manage given the instructions.

* * *

December first dawned quiet and cold. Harry and friends came down to the Great Hall and were enjoying breakfast when McGonagall came up to their table.

"Well done Mr. Potter, it has been a month and you have managed to avoid needing to see me outside of class."

"I was busy. If you'd like to take tea with me after breakfast, I am certain we can find something I may or may not have been involved in."

"Regardless of what you may think, that's not the reason I keep calling you to my office. If I wanted to, I am sure I might inquire where you have been for the past two months when you weren't in classes"

"Well I haven't left the castle since the Sunday after Halloween if that's what you are worried about. I've been working on my final Charms project."

"You haven't left the castle you say? How odd, it seems almost no one can account for you until just this past week. I have numerous students that say they could not find you when they went to the Head Boy's suite looking for you."

"If you are trying to ask me where I was, ask. I thought we discovered that I can dance around issues as well as Dumbledore ever did."

"Very well then, where have you been and what have you been up to? I'm asking now because it seems that you are finished doing whatever it is you need to do."

"As I said, I have been working on my final Charms project. I wanted to make a real impression on Professor Flitwick this year because as soon as the war is over I thought I might enjoy trying for a Mastery in charms, or maybe even spell crafting."

"Those sound like excellent goals and it is good that you are both planning for the future and applying yourself to schoolwork. But you haven't answered where you were doing this."

"Well technically I guess you could say I was in the Chamber of Secrets. What better place to cast experimental charms than where no one would get hurt or interrupt me?"

"What do you mean technically?"

"Well I was in one of the tunnels that lead away from the main chamber."

"Are you in fact finished?"

"Not completely, most of the work is done but I still have one last charm I need to place and a lot of written work to finish before the project is done. I want it well documented for a variety of reasons."

"Interesting, I would like to see it when you are done as well. If you have dedicated this much effort, I want to see the finished product."

"Certainly, may I come to your office later? I want to speak with the Sorting Hat for a little while."

"Why in the world would you do that? It's a bit late to resort you into another House don't you think?"

"Well the Hat has been around since the birth of Hogwarts, it has seen into the minds of thousands of wizards. I wish to speak with it about its purpose here and the future actually."

"Look, you can't become a House Ghost until you are dead, and you can't replace the Sorting Hat. It only works one day a year anyway and if you think I am giving that drunkard a vacation, you are badly mistaken."

"What? Are you saying that the Sorting Hat is a drunk? It's a hat!"

"Never mind, look you can come talk to the Hat, but I swear to Merlin you aren't taking its place next year."

* * *

"Hello Mr. Hat it's good to speak with you again."

"Potter, you still belong in Gryffindor, now more than ever. Look, just because I wanted to put you into Slytherin once doesn't mean that it was wrong to put you in Gryffindor."

"Ok, that's good to know, but that's not why I came to speak with you again."

"Oh, I am sorry. So what's on your mind? You may call me Alistair by the way, you've had more conversations with me than anyone but Albus in the last few centuries."

"Why thank you, and I am Harry. I wanted to talk to you about your job, the future, and the chance at a lot of entertainment. Tell me, Alistair, do you ever get bored just working that one day a year?"

"You bet your arse I do! All I ever do is look into the minds of eleven year olds and look for cunning, bravery, intellect, or loyalty. And at that I rarely get to talk to anyone unless they are either excellent in many areas like yourself or completely useless. And its rarer still that anyone comes back for a second chat."

"Well if you are interested, I have an idea that may see you getting some much more interesting discussions in the future."

"Really? Do tell Harry."

"Well, as you are already adept at sorting, I would like you to seek out the minds of the truly mischievous as well. I am starting a new tradition of sorts, bringing the brightest and most fun minds of each generation and supplying them with everything they need to become truly great."

"Ok, tell me more. I assume from what you have said that there is more than sorting involved."

"Ah yes, that's the beautiful part. Have you ever heard stories of the Marauders? They were and are again a group of pranksters who caused mayhem throughout the castle. I am one of them, and I want you to be a part of my greatest prank. I have just finished building a secret set of rooms that will give younger students the tools to become great at pranking. Soon I hope to place them under the Fidelius Charm. I would like you to be the Secret Keeper and only reveal the location after they have completed a quest. I am going to leave a book in the library. If you sort a student who shows real potential for chaos, tell them about the book. The book will detail the quest. The quest will include planning and executing an innovative prank on at least fifteen people simultaneously. The last part of the quest will be to come back to you and detail the pranks to receive the secret."

"That sounds very tempting. At the very least I will get to hear some good stories, maybe even make a friend or two."

"That's the spirit. Oh, and speaking of spirits, are you actually an alcoholic? How does that work for a hat?"

"No, I think Minerva was having you on. Although, she may also have been trying to imply I was drunk when I sorted you. This plan of yours is clearly Ravenclaw material, or is it Slytherin with its cunning and secrecy? It certainly wasn't brave or loyal."

"Hey, I am trusting my secret that I don't want the Headmasters of the future to know about to someone who lives in their office aren't I? That sounds pretty brave."

"Nope, not seeing it. Your plan for taking on the war single handed though, that's brave AND stupid, just like Godric."

"Gee thanks, I'll come talk to you again when we are ready to enact the Fidelius and discuss who to give it out to."

* * *

"Hey Gred, hey Forge! How's my favorite set of twins?"

"Harry, great to see you!" Fred replied, "What are you doing here?"

"It's a Hogsmeade weekend up at the castle and I had business in Gringotts today. I just thought I would come see my partners in crime as well. Not to mention I need to talk with you guys about some new products I am working on. I figure as my business partners I ought to give you first refusal on some stuff even if it isn't in your usual line up."

"We can close up shop for a few minutes if you want." George put in.

"No, close for the day and come with me to Hogwarts, I've got something to show you two anyway. I want to show you something that is my greatest work, my legacy, and my greatest prank ever."

"Are you talking about that 'epic' prank you told us you were planning over the summer hols?"

"Yes I am, even you two never pulled something like this off. It should even net you some interesting business."

"Alright then, just let George and I close up and we'll apperate over to Hogwarts."

"Oi! You're George. I'm Fred remember?" His twin corrected.

"I would think you two would remember at least. Seriously, I don't know how Angelina andAlicia put up with you two."

"Hey now… That's one area we never get mixed up. Aside from the fact that the girls would hex us silly, even twins don't share everything!"

* * *

The three pranksters found themselves sneaking around the halls of Hogwarts, bringing back all kinds of memories.

Fred broke the silence. "Why are we sneaking around near the Hufflepuff dorms? There's nothing down here that's very interesting."

"Nothing that you know of, come on, it's just down this corridor."

"Harry, this corridor is a dead end, trust us."

"So you say. Alright, Fred put your wand here. George, yours goes there. Now I just need to put my two into place and we can all say the magic words. Alright, all together now, what's the Marauder motto? "

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good!" They chorused together.

"There, now the wall is just like the barrier at King's Cross. In you get, we've got ten seconds."

They passed through the barrier.

"Welcome my friends, to the Manor of Mischief, home to the Marauders of Hogwarts. Through that door is the future of pranking in this our Alma Mater."

"Well done on the entryway mate, we never would have found those cracks or figured out their purpose. So was this all your work, or was it a combined effort?"

"With the exception of this door here, it is all me. This is my NEWT level project for charms. I am hoping to impress Flitwick enough that he will take me on as an apprentice, so I can get my Mastery in Charms. In addition to everything else, I am going to put it under a Fidelius Charm after the winter break."

"Wow, nice common area. Why bother with a Fidelius if you are making for new pranksters, how are you going to keep coming back to pass the secret?"

"Thanks, you should see the bedrooms and the library. There's a lot of books in there that you two would love. I'm not going to be the secret keeper though that's the best part of the prank. Who in this school knows everybody better than they know themselves? Who would know the up and coming pranksters before school started? Who would be able to tell those who would make the best use of all this?"

"I can't think of anyone except maybe the Headmaster or Headmistress but you can't tell them. That would ruin everything."

"Indeed they would. No my friends, my secret keeper will be the Sorting Hat. He's already agreed to help. We're going to make all new Marauders go on a quest before they learn the secret. Also this term I have been spreading rumors that the Marauders are actually an ancient group that was recently revived. Couple those rumors with a set of secret rooms that only the sorting hat can tell you how to access… Comedy gold mine my brothers."

"You're right, this is the eternal prank. You are making new pranksters and giving them a completely secret lair to work their evil! You are a genius!"

"Oi, Fred, come here and have a look at this room! It's like flying!"

Harry showed them around the various rooms and explained some of the charms that made it all work.

"Well that takes care of the educational part of the afternoon. Now, down to business."

"What do you have for us, mate?"

"Well it's a little out of your usual realm, but like I said I am giving you first refusal rights. You guys remember the Gravediggers I brought to the wedding? It turns out that not all of the ingredients for that are available here so I have been improvising. These are a couple my variations. Slughorn and I have been busy working on getting the patent for these and a few other new potions."

"So what's so great about this stuff? The Gravediggers were good and all, but a new drink isn't exactly my idea of groundbreaking stuff worth closing the shop over."

"Nah, I made you close the shop to show you this set of rooms. This is all just an excuse to drink with you guys. First up is Gryffindor Courage. It's a little less intoxicating than the original blend, but instead inspires confidence and courage. Before Hermione even knew she was drinking, she was making fun of McGonagall and laughing in the face of rules everywhere. I've already got a steady customer in McGonagall. She swears it helps get rid of headaches inspired by overly sneaky Gryffindors."

"You got Hermione pissed? And McGonagall didn't have an aneurysm?"

"Pissed as a Lord! It was entertaining. Next up is Badger's Heart. Inspires friendship and loyalty. No more angry drunks, Slughorn loves me for this one. Apparently one of his best mates is an angry drunk. Raven's Sight is a fun mix, but don't overindulge. Trust me, it isn't always fun."

"What does that one do?"

"Well in addition to getting you pissed, it improves your memory (or at least you think it does) and it also inspires "visions" and "contact" with other worlds. Basically, it's Luna Lovegood in a bottle. Drink enough and you will swear the Quibbler is a factual publication, because you've seen half those creatures!"

"Wow, that's odd, but it sounds like some of the ingredients could be useful in other parts of our venture. What do you think George, Seer Suckers? Lick the Lolli and see the future?"

"Could work Fred, lets work on those later."

"Anyway, we still haven't worked out a good Slytherin themed drink yet. We're still working on that. I've been kind of busy getting the Manor up and running."

"Tell you what, give us some samples of what you've got and let us get back to you later. We don't really do alcohol at out shop, but we may branch out if we think it's really a profitable venture. Your drinks, our business sense… "Potter's Potent Potables" I can see it now… Triple P, a wholly owned subsidiary of Triple W."

"Who owns who guys? Work with me here."

"We can work out the details later. By the way, I need to borrow a book from your library."

"Sure thing. Which one? 1001 Dirty Tricks? Don't Get Mad, Get Even; A guide to revenge? Steal This Book? I bought that last one for the title alone."

"Nope, What I did to an entire conclave of Veela and How I did it. by Mr. Black."


	24. Winsol and Summertime

Disclaimer; I do not own Harry Potter or the Blood.

/_This is two people talking mind to mind._/

* * *

"Hey Rascal, how are your classes going? Need any assistance in anything?" Harry asked Lucille the next morning.

"I'm doing alright. Transfiguration is so different from Craft that it is tough for me but Charms and Potions are just so natural after everything my family taught me. Defense is different from what Lucivar taught me. Professor Moody seems to know what he is doing though."

"I'm glad to hear that things are going well. So, what is your favorite class?"

"Herbology is just wonderful. Not only am I good at it, but it is nice to have a class where I can just re-attach myself to the land and listen to nature. And there are so many different plants to learn about that we don't have at home."

"If you want, I will introduce you to my friend Neville. He is obsessed with Herbology and has a pretty nice greenhouse from what I hear. He may be interested in trading cuttings and plants with you so you can introduce them to your garden."

"That sounds great!"

"Ok, I'll introduce you two when he gets back from Hogsmeade. You aren't cheating in Charms just doing everything with Craft and Jewels are you? You are supposed to be here to help us understand how they both work."

"Yes _Dad. _I'm doing them the right way. They are easy because I know how the magic works on an intimate level, not because I am cheating. For instance the levitation charm, _wingardium leviosa_, the swish and flick are like a fly fishing pole. You draw a little thread of magic from your wand and cast it towards the object forming a link between you. In craft, you simply push the magic out your fingers to create that same link. The wand does indeed make it easier to let the magic flow, but I can see how it could also become a crutch."

"Very good, those kind of observations are exactly what you are here to learn. Once you learn spells the way we do them, study the energy flow and examine the intent. Then maybe you can reverse engineer it to work with craft. Transfiguration especially relies on tricky wand movements to work the magic. You may need to construct a simple web to achieve the same energy flow with Craft. I am trying desperately to do the reverse by the way. I learned so many new and innovative ways to use magic from you and your family over the summer and I am still trying to discover how to do them with a wand so I can teach others. You and I are the bridges between our two worlds."

"Alright. By the way Harry, why was Luna wearing that funny hat today at breakfast?"

"The sombrero with little chili peppers? Let's just say that Luna is a lot like your Grandma Tersa and leave it at that. Luna does things for her own reasons that do not always make sense."

* * *

The auction for Malfoy Manor began early on December ninth outside Gringotts. A variety of people came to the auction, from new money families hoping to buy and old money home to old money trying to keep the home within their community. Some felt the property had too much history to pass off to a family that two or three generations ago was muggleborns.

"Welcome everyone to our auction, today we are here to sell a wonderful estate outside Wiltshire." Slipjaw began, "We are going to open bidding here today at sixty five thousand galleons, an absolute steal for this property. Fifteen bedrooms, on twelve acres with complete wards already in place. This property is for sale as is, you will be buying not only the home and land but anything the former owners may have left inside."

Bidding was fast and furious at first, but then it seemed that some of the bidders were glared into silence by some of the other bidders after it broke one hundred fifty thousand.

"I've heard two hundred thousand galleons, going once... Come on everybody this is a wonderful property still at this price, an absolute shame to let it go so low... going twice... Will no one bid against Madam Avery? Alright going..." Slipjaw was suddenly interrupted.

"Two hundred fifty thousand galleons." A lady's voice called.

"Thank you Lady..."

"Angelline." Jaenelle said as she approached the front of the crowd.

"Thank you Lady Angelline. The bidding is at a quarter million galleons, can I hear better?"

"Three hundred."

"Three fifty."

"Four hundred."

"One half million."

"Three quarters!" Avery called.

"Take it, it wasn't worth a sickle." Jaenelle said as she turned to leave.

"Alright we have seven hundred fifty thousand galleons, any more bidders? Once? Twice? Sold for seven hundred fifty thousand galleons plus twelve percent brokerage fees to Madam Avery. You have one business week to secure the funds before we level late fees. Your total will be eight hundred forty thousand galleons or four million six hundred twenty thousand pounds sterling." Slipjaw was grinning enough to show teeth. His personal stake was just under forty thousand galleons... Harry would be pleased.

* * *

"Well done Slipjaw, I told you we would get more than it's proper value if we auctioned it off instead of selling it outright. I honestly didn't expect even a half million galleons for it. Four million Sterling is an excellent deal."

"I should warn you not to try that again. It is illegal to bid in your own auction."

"I don't know what you mean. I wasn't there."

"Please Mr. Potter, humans may not have very good memories but the Goblins aren't stupid. Lady Angelline has only ever been seen with you in Britain. If rumors are true, you are serving in her court. If she wanted to buy your property and was willing to pay the half million you didn't expect and she bid, why did she wait until the auction? No, the Goblin nation isn't stupid. We know who she was and why she was there. If we didn't already know you would be getting it back soon anyway we would have stepped in."

"You mean to say the Goblins keep track of the Death Eaters too?"

"Oh indeed, they are quite obvious to us. Every knut they spend seems to go through a half dozen shill accounts first. The Ministry would never be able to keep track, but when you are the ones running the bank, it isn't hard."

"Really, that is most interesting. When and if the ministry ever agrees to my demands, are you going to let them know about the shill accounts?"

"Probably not. Even though we could take outrageous transaction fees and charge them for the paper trail we would need to create, the Goblins do not feel that there is enough profit in turning the shill accounts over to the Ministry."

"You do realize that would void the deal I am trying to create right? Quite a risky stance you seem to be taking."

"It would be if you actually cared about the money. No Mr. Potter, the Goblins understand mercenaries. You seem to just want to be left alone. That's why on behalf of the Goblin Council Ragnok has asked me to present a new deal. When the war is over, we will cut you in 65/35 on the shill accounts. We are going to need them as untraceable slush funds too if we are going to purchase up all the influence you are about to set adrift."

"You'll cut me in for thirty five percent hmm... That sounds like a wonderful plan. What the ministry doesn't know won't hurt them. I know they are going to waste the other half of the money on the pureblood bigots and bribes anyway, but I wrote it that way for good publicity."

"Indeed, you can try to be generous, but bureaucrats will always screw things up. Oh, St. Mungo's may get some funding, after swimming in a see of red tape. St. Olaf's wizarding orphanage might get some too, but the majority of that money will be wasted. We at least are being honest about sidetracking the money."

"Agreed. So tell me how the land grab is going."

"Well, in the month and a half I have had to work on this, we've spent just shy of four million Galleons, twenty million Sterling. This has made significant inroads into the SaDiablo accounts. You've just over one and a half million left in the SaDiablo vault and just shy of a million in the Potter account. You've bought fourteen houses and cottages in the village itself and have acquired nearly four hundred acres total. The remaining lands were agricultural lands outside the village proper. You paid just over fifty thousand pounds sterling or nine thousand galleons per acre when you ignore the structures."

"Let's stop at five hundred acres. That's like two square kilometers right?"

"Close enough."

"That's more than enough room for me to live on. Now let's talk about what I want you to do with the money from the auction today."

"I'm ready to listen whenever you are. Also remember that you still have four properties for sale, those will eventually add capital to your plans. Not nearly as much as the Malfoy estate did, but some."

"I'll keep that in mind. I need a holiday spot. I'm thinking somewhere either near the mountains or near the sea. I want to do this through the muggle world so as to be completely inconspicuous. Maybe filter the money through a few shills and under a fake name. I want to do this the muggle way so no wizards find my little hideaway."

"Interesting idea, do you have any suggestions?"

"A healthy magical community nearby never hurt. And while I can translate to any language I need, it might be nice to be somewhere they at least understand English. Friendly locals and a rich environment are added bonuses."

"Ok, friendly locals, English speaking, interesting scenery, mountains or sea, ability to blend in... I've got a few ideas. Let me do some asking around and I will get back to you sometime this week. Do you have a time frame?"

"Three weeks? I would like to have one real holiday before the war starts. I've never had one."

"Three weeks for a real estate deal? That's moving fast! I can do it, but we will probably get over charged. Still, with three quarters of a million galleons we can certainly throw our weight around."

* * *

"Harry, good to see you again, how is everything?" Jaenelle greeted him as she and Professor McGonagall came into the common room.

"Lady, wonderful to see you. What's the occasion?"

"I was in the area on business as if you didn't know and so I wanted to stop by and drop off Winsol gifts for you and Lucy. I understand that she wont be able to come home until the next day."

"Yes, but she tells me we are going to celebrate here. Hedwig and I are looking forward to it since we have never been involved in this celebration before. The four of us are apparently going to have a small ceremony on the grounds."

"Were you planning on asking permission Mr. Potter?" McGonagall butted in.

"Whoops, forgot you were there Professor. Well, actually no I figured it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Winsol is like Yule or Christmas in their culture. They exchange gifts and what not. Could I bribe you to look the other way for the night of the twenty first? You could come of course, but I am not certain you would like what you see. Lucy told me all about it and there are a few minor parts of the ceremony that society may frown upon."

"Is there anything dangerous or immoral going on?"

"Oh no, Headmistress!" Jaenelle was quick to defend, "Mostly it is music and dancing, a party of sorts. But from what Harry has told us of your culture some of the traditional phrases and rituals may be taboo."

"Actually, now that I think of it Headmistress, please come celebrate with us. Just leave all preconceptions and responsibilities in your office."

"That sounds like an interesting idea. It will let me get to know Lucy a little better if I understand where she comes from. I enjoy learning new things anyway."

"So do I Professor. Meet us at ten pm on the twenty first in the entry hall."

"Well as much as I would like to stay and chat, I just wanted to drop this off," a long thin package appeared in the air above Harry's lap, "and talk to Lucy for a few minutes before I go."

"She's in the first room up that staircase. Let me know before you leave, I need to take care of the candles after all."

* * *

Harry got a letter from Slipjaw and his jaw dropped open. This was perfect! The property he had found was absolutely perfect. Mountains AND ocean, people who spoke proper English, and far enough away that he wouldn't need to use a fake name when talking to the locals. Could it get any better? Harry didn't think so and wrote back to carry forward with the deal, he even upped the commission to a solid ten percent in gratitude.

On the eighteenth of December he got another letter. James Evans had purchased Motukawaiti Island. Part of the Bay of Islands off the North Island of New Zealand. It was ninety five acres of paradise, and only cost him a third of what he sold the Malfoy estate for.

The island was shaped like a tear drop. The north tip was rocky and rose out of the sea 115 meters (380 feet) before opening into a wide grassy plain that gently dropped to the sea. The entire east coast was rocky, but the south west quarter (facing towards the Bay and North Island) had a perfect white sand beach for five hundred meters. The island was surrounded by crystal clear waters and a few small coral reefs. Lying at about thirty five degrees south latitude, it would be about as warm as the south of Spain or Portugal. Even the winter would be far more habitable than Hogwarts was at that time of year.

There were no structures on the island, but since it was summer in the southern hemisphere Harry thought a camp out sounded pleasant. Eventually he would carve a home and maybe a dock out of the rock on the north end. He had no reservations about living inside the island, it sounded like an indestructible home actually.

All told, it was the best money he would probably ever spend once he had time to build. His own private island...

* * *

Harry, Kaelas, Hedwig, Professor McGonagall, and Lucy met in the entrance hall the night of the winter solstice and proceeded out over the darkened grounds. They soon came to a spot that Kaelas had prepared earlier in the day.

There was a five meter radius circle clear until all that remained was packed earth. In the center of the circle there was a pile of wood for the bonfire. A collection of natural stones formed a makeshift altar. A pair of specially charmed drums was next to the altar to provide the rhythm.

Lucille, dressed in a long black silk dress strode forward to the altar where she called in a silver knife and a small silver chalice.

"We gather tonight to celebrate Winsol. It is the time we give thanks for the gift of Craft, and remember what it means to be Blood. In this sacred ceremony we will honor the Darkness and dance to the glory of Witch. We dance to celebrate the primal origins of our people and the male and female within us all. We shall open with a blood sacrifice before we close the circle and light the fires. If there is anyone unwilling to participate, let them leave now."

She took the knife and knicked her wrist, letting the blood flow into the chalice. After three seconds she pressed her thumb over the wound and used craft to heal it. Kaelas came forward and held his paw for her to cut and heal. Hedwig nipped her own wing and let it drip. Harry felt the magic rising in the area as he walked forward. The knife stung as it bit into his flesh, and he watched with morbid fascination as his blood flowed into the goblet. He turned and looked to the Headmistress, who was clearly uneasy at the concept of giving her blood.

"It's alright Professor, there is nothing to fear. When you give your blood, concentrate on what it means to you to have and use magic. Good, bad, and in between, let your feelings flow with your blood." Lucy prompted.

McGonagall reluctantly came and gave her blood, and was surprised at how quickly Lucy could heal her wrist. After everyone had given, Lucy walked the perimeter of the circle and let a small but steady stream of blood hit the ground. As she completed the circle, the very air itself flickered with magic and a dome of energy slowly rose around the celebrants. The bonfire in the center lit itself and threw sparks high into the night sky.

"As the Darkness gifted us with the power to use Craft or Magic, so now we give back. We give of ourselves on this the longest night of the year, when the Darkness is closest to all of us." She cast the remainder of the blood into the flames, the air grew thick with the scent of hot blood as it sizzled. "And now the witches dance for the glory of being female. We are the connection to the land. We are the mothers of our peoples. We hold charms and knowledge no man will ever know. Dance with me sisters for tonight we are witches."

Harry picked up the drums and activated the charms. They began to pound with deep throbbing notes in a rhythm that was both alien and familiar. The flames danced higher and beings made of pure fire leapt forth to dance. Lucy indicated that as the oldest present McGonagall should be the first to join the fiery figures. Lucy soon joined and Hedwig floated in behind. Though hesitant at first McGonagall soon lost herself in the fire and rhythm. It was like nothing Harry had ever seen. It was as though the dance was designed to flaunt their femininity, no matter that McGonagall was going on her eight decade. They danced for nearly forty five minutes before the fire settled.

Kaelas began stalking round the fire and his deep rumbling voice sounded in all of their minds. /_And now the Males take the fire. We are the strength of our people. We protect the females. We are the keepers of history and masters of the fire. Dance with me brother and revel in what it is to be male._/

Again the fire rose high and the sparks formed fiery figures. Harry felt the heat and heard the drums. They beat in time with his heart and made his blood burn. He stripped out of his robes and shirt, dancing around the fire barefoot and wearing only his trousers. He danced the circle and felt the magic within himself. He and Kaelas fought a battle of wills to control the fire. They moved closer and closer to the flames, letting the craft and magic flow. Two spectral warriors rose above the heart of the flames and fought according to the will of their controller. Harry eventually one, then felt Kaelas's mind slip in behind them and soon the fire was changing in time with their combined will. Acting on an urge he would never understand, Harry suddenly ran and jumped thought the heart of the fire. A moment later Kaelas jumped through as well. They took turns, each adding just a touch more flair either with craft enhanced acrobatics or through controlling the flames. The sweat poured off his half naked body and he realized something. He had never felt this alive!

When Kaelas bested Harry in the ariel stunts, the drums tapered off. Harry threw back his head and let loose a savage howl, reveling just in being alive. Kaelas joined him with a roar that shook him to the bones and would make his enemies bowels run like water.

Lucy approached the altar and set three small crystal goblets down on the stone where the heat from the fire would warm them. She carefully poured some of the special rum for the ritual and let it heat.

"Now comes the fun part, presents! Gifts are exchanged now before we open the circle. Professor McGonagall, I hope you don't feel bad, but I didn't know to get you a gift."

"That's perfectly fine, just being a part of this tonight is gift enough. I can feel the magic, and I daresay I haven't felt this young in a long time. I just hope no one was looking out their windows and saw me dancing like that!"

"No worries Headmistress, when we closed the circle at the beginning the magic hid us from any outside observers. The most anyone would see was the five of us disappearing. They will never even see the fire."

"That's powerful magic. So, since I have no gifts to exchange, would you be willing to tell me who you are Mr. Shadow?"

/_My name is Kaelas. I am a member of Lady Angelline's guard and am here to protect the kitten._/

"Hey, I am not a kitten anymore."

/_But you are not yet a she-cat. You are still young, would you prefer cub?_/

"Well it is nice to meet you Kaelas, but I can't help but wonder why I never noticed an extra student."

"Umm... Professor, I think now is the time for me to break some bad news to you. You know how the entrance letters say that new students may bring a cat as a familiar? Kaelas is not an animagus. He actually is an Acerian Cat. He has been in the castle the entire time as Lucille's familiar. He is a fully trained wizard in his own right, so don't call him an animal. He is kindred, a term for nonhuman magic users. Oh by the way, Hedwig here is Kindred too, but not yet fully trained."

Professor McGonagall sat down on the ground and just put her head in her hands. "But... then... How... When... I give up!"

Harry and Lucy traded gifts. He got her a nice goblin wrought gold bracelet that Slipjaw managed to find for him. She gave him a few books that explained the basics of web weaving. If he studied carfully he could learn to erect wards of a sort or even spin a web to attract pleasant dreams, but they were far from true Hourglass craft. Harry even gave McGonagall a lovely ruby pendant he got from the Malfoy estate. It was a lovely deep red color set in a simple gold setting. The package from Jaenelle contained a new broom. The handle was carved froma rich honey gold colored wood, and the bristles were carved from the same deep brown wood from the door to the Manor. The note inside said that Daemon had done the actual carving while Jaenelle worked the enchantments. They said it worked, but seemed to scale its speed according to a persons strength instead of flying one speed like other brooms.

* * *

As they all got off the express the next morning Harry stopped to hug his friends goodbye. "If everything goes well with the ministry I will be at the Burrow about six o'clock on Christmas day. Until then I am finally going to have a holiday. It will be the last break I get before the war starts, so I am intending go see the mountains and the ocean. I need to see the good in the world before I see the bad."

"Be careful Harry." Hermione implored him. "We need you. I need my friend back, no holiday is worth losing you."

"Don't worry guys. Trust me when I tell you I won't be in any danger. Ron, when we graduate, you and I are taking a trip. Think of it as my graduation gift, we are going to go do things we never did before, two young men out on the prowl."

"Sure thing mate. You're on."

"Harry, what about me? You can't break up the trio like that."

"Sorry Hermione, this is about guy time. You and I can go to the Library at Alexandria after we get back. Or we can all go to my place in Ebon Rih and I will introduce you to my family. But you can't just tag along on guys doing incredibly stupid stuff. We're going to do stuff like get drunk on three continents, go parachuting from a broom, or stuff like that. You honestly want to join us?"

"What girls can't drink?"

"Hermione the last time I got you drunk you went and insulted McGonagall. If you really want, we'll talk about it later. In the mean time I need to get Lucy home and then I have a letter to drop at the ministry before I leave the country."

"Will you at least tell us where you are going?"

"Wait, you got Hermione drunk and you didn't invite me?" Ginny pouted.

"Ginny, it wasn't like that. I was trying to get McGonagall plastered, but Hermione drank it first. At least the professor is a repeat customer. I have a feeling that I'm going to make a lot of money off her. Hermione never asked for another." Harry placated her. "No Hermione I can't. I am safer if even my friends can't find me. I'll be back in a few days."

* * *

Well, Lucy and Kaelas were home, the letter to the ministry had been delivered, and it was time for Harry's first Holiday. He stopped by a store in Diagon Alley that catered to back packers and picked up a small tent and a few other supplies before catching the black wind.

With any luck he would be able to make it to his island before the evening, or early morning local time. He didn't know how he was going to deal with the twelve hour time difference, but he figured pepper-up potions and willpower would just have to do. Thankfully he had slept a bit on the train.

A/N; Regarding money in this fic; 1 Galleon 5.5 Pounds Sterling (canon I think) 16.5 New Zealand Dollars. Thanks to for currency help between GBP and NZD. Motukawaiti Island actually was for sale at the bargain price of NZ$4 million. http/ for more info on it or other islands for sale. I know alot of fics have Harry being insanely rich, like 20million galleons. I made him rich, but 5-6mil rich not stupid rich. I don't know about land prices in England, but I do think Harry is getting ripped off. Agricultural land aint that costly, but buying fomr people who may not want to sell is very costly.

I see that everyone liked my Make a Wish referance last chapter. It just seemed like the kind of thing I ought to throw into the marauder library.

There is only one more fun chapter left before I get serious and start writing a war story, but even the fun plots are all going to tie together eventually. The Winsol scene was partially gleaned from The Invisible Ring and partially from my own imagination.


	25. Holiday of Doom!

Disclaimer; This story, while inspired by Rowling and Bishop is not canon and never will be.

* * *

Harry walked out of a bathroom he where he dropped his sight shield and stepped into the line at the customs terminal at Auckland's International air port just after eight thirty am. He handed the man behind the counter his new passport that said he was James Evans. There was a magical customs office, but Harry didn't want to announce his presence. He stopped at a grocer and a chemist before finding a secluded spot to apperate to the gps coordinates Slipjaw gave him. 

He set up camp on the plain beneath the rocky peak of the island, sheltered from the wind, but where he would get an excellent view of the sun rising over the pacific every morning. Now that he had a view of how the island was shaped, a plan began to form in his mind. He would carve his kitchen and breakfast nook into the east side of the bluff, a formal dining room on the west. Both rooms would need floor to ceiling windows to take advantage of the view. The entry hall and front door would be on the west side near the base, the bluff provided a deep and sheltered harbor. Living rooms and bed chambers could be carved along either side, with the master's suite at the very top of the bluff so he could have both views. A library could be built buried under the heart of the main part of the island where nothing short of a nuclear weapon could disturb the quiet. Perhaps he would need to research a form of magical lift if he was going to have his rooms spread throughout the promontory. Oh well, that would have to wait until after the war. He didn't have time to build a home.

He popped back to Auckland and grabbed a fist full of tourist brochures and headed for the magical section of town. He picked up a few more brochures and sat down with a local drink they called L&P while he read. Except for the very brief mention New Zealand got in his primary school history class, he knew next to nothing about the land he found himself in. The visitor's center also encouraged people to visit other nations of the South Pacific so he picked up more fliers.

He found himself looking at a mixture of just about everything imaginable. He could travel to the South Island and see fjords, glaciers, and penguins, he could climb volcanoes and swim in some of the best reefs in the world. He had the feeling he would be glad he learned the bubble head charm. There were people and cultures that were completely alien to his European upbringing, and this close to Christmas there were festivals nearly every day. He decided that since today was going to be spent readjusting to the time difference he would take it easy.

First and foremost he made sure to purchase an international portkey back to England for Christmas Eve at ten thirty and Christmas day at five thirty (England time). Just because he could travel fast on the winds didn't make it practical when traveling around the world for his appointment. He only planned to be in Britain long enough to see if the Ministry would give in finally, then he was back on holiday. The New Zealand ministry was more than happy to help, after all it was the season to be with one's family and they didn't know he had just arrived in the country.

* * *

At noon he went to Rotorua to watch an exhibition of the art of Haka by Te Puia, a troupe of Maori tribesmen who performed and talked about their culture. They started off with a dance they called Ka Mate, and Harry was beginning to think Dumbledore had the right of it in his first year. After listening to Jaenelle and Lucy singing Witchsongs in the old tongue, dancing at Winsol, and now watching a group of sweaty men wearing only something called a pui-pui dance, Harry was starting to agree that music was a magic greater than any taught at Hogwarts. 

The Ka Mate was a fearsome thing, the men brandished wooden spears and moved in symphony. They told the tale of a man trapped in a hole as his village was raided by another tribe. He started worrying about his immanent death but ended celebrating his life and the joys of just having the sun shine on him. Apparently the dance and chant was also popular with the national rugby and quidditch teams and had become a tradition before matches.

There were more dances by men, women, and one by a mixed group before the demonstration of Haka ended. Harry took the time to look around the Maori village and enjoy the intricately carved meeting house. He was quickly gaining respect for other cultures and suspecting that the British were really quite full of themselves. Here was art above and beyond anything he had seen in England, and it was said that the meeting houses that weren't open to outsiders were far superior.

As he was about to leave he noticed a small store that seemed to spring from between it's neighbors as Harry looked at it. He wasn't expecting to find a magical store here, but he figured it was at least worth a look. The store seemed empty of people as Harry entered, but he heard a chime sound in a back room. An ancient looking man came out of the back room. His hair and clothing were typical, but his skin was a clear indication of his heritage.

"Ah, sorry about not being out here but I wasn't expecting anyone today. I usually get visitors only on Monday."

"Why is that?"

"Well Monday is when we hold our demonstrations of our magical heritage, they demonstrate at nine am rather than twelve fifteen like the mundane show. There aren't many magical tourists, but we do one every week anyway. We are trying to educate foreign wizards about our unique magical heritage."

"I will definitely come back for that! I love seeing other ways of doing things, and I am realizing on my own that just because the elite magical schools of Europe teach one way doesn't make it the only way."

"Excellent, that is what we try to do here. The British may have brought their ways and customs here, but we remember our own."

"That is good to know, so now that I know about the magical demonstration why don't you tell me about the shop and what you have to offer."

"Well there are several talismans that are popular among the few visitors, we have a variety of books about the Maori and other Polynesian cultures' magical traditions, and a few more unique items."

"Let me see the talismans, I need a unique gift for a friend and something like that may just be what I was looking for."

"Well, one of the most popular is an enchanted Hei-Tiki. These figures are carved from greenstone and enchanted according to local traditions. They are said to bring luck and fertility. Tiki was the first man, created by the god Tana, he is the father of all."

"I don't think that would be an appropriate gift. The young lady I am looking for comes from a family that is infamous for being a little too fertile."

"Ah, then perhaps this next one will suit. Carved from bone, this is called Hei-Matua Maui or Maui's Fishhook. Maui's fishhook is a powerful symbol and when respected can be any man's best friend. It is a symbol of strength and protection. It is said to bring prosperity. So long as the wearer sacrifices some bit of wealth every day, they will never go completely without. It need not be much, a coin to a beggar or tossed into a body of water will suffice. It takes a week to become useful, and must be continued everyday or else it will take a week before the protection returns."

"That sounds like something that would be wonderful. How does the magic work if you don't mind me asking?"

"No trouble at all. Compared to other forms of magic, our traditions are both enormously powerful and too temperamental. This talisman for instance provides a powerful protection, but involves a constant sacrifice to keep it active. The magic is a bond or agreement with the spirits and forces of the world. A two way street if you will. We do not bind magic to our will, but work with it to achieve both our goals and the goals of nature."

"That is a very enlightened view to take. I think I understand the idea."

"I have here something else you may find fitting for your young lady. This is a Heru or a comb. The enchantments will allow it to hold a lady's hair in any position she desires, even those normally impossible. This one requires very little maintenance comparatively; the comb must be allowed to hear at least one hour of "girl talk" per week. Failing that it will require two hours before it becomes useful."

"That's a very unusual item. I guess magic has a sense of humor in its demands then?"

"It's a modern use of an old idea. These are hardly traditional. They come carved with a variety of patterns, maybe one will catch your eye."

"I like this one here," Harry said, pointing to one carved to resemble a fern leaf unfurling where the prongs for holding the hair met. "You mentioned you had some more unique items?"

"Tell me young man, where do you feel most at peace? If you were truly at home in one place or in one environment where would it be?"

"I love to fly. The very first dream I remember had me flying across Britain on a motorcycle. When I first picked up a broom, I knew I belonged in the air. Since then I have learned to become an animagus. No surprise to me, I am a bird. When I am flying through the sky, it is like the whole world disappears and there is nothing that could possibly go wrong."

"I have something very special for you then." He reached beneath the counter and pulled a brightly colored bundle into view. "This, my friend, is a cloak of feathers. Each and every one of these hundreds of feathers was found in the forest after falling from the birds naturally. The enchantments on it do not allow true flight like a broom, but it does allow you to glide through the air like a bird. A skilled user can catch thermal currents and stay aloft for hours without effort. To any non-magical person you will appear to be a large brightly colored bird. These are rare and expensive due to the difficulty in collecting enough feathers, and the knowledge to make them is a dying art just as using them is."

"I never imagined such a thing existed!"

After some hemming and hawing, they began to bicker about the price. It was just friendly banter and all part of the game. Both men knew Harry would buy the cloak no matter what, but they bickered and bargained because that was proper form. Harry collected his purchases, the hook, comb, cloak, and two copies of each book and was about to vanish them when something resting in a corner caught his eye.

"What is that by the door?"

"That… is my Taiaha and it isn't for sale. If you want to see how it is used come back for the Monday show."

* * *

Harry arrived at his next destination shortly after, Hot Water Beach near Whitianga. Volcanism warmed the sands of the beach and people all along the beach were digging large holes in the steaming sands. Harry approached a young girl who looked to be maybe seven or eight struggling to lift her shovel when it was full of wet sand. 

"Why is everyone digging big holes in the ground?"

"You are not from around here are you?"

"Obviously not. I am on holiday from Britain. My name is Harry."

"I am Ellie, when the tide goes out like now, everyone digs a pit so they can enjoy the volcanic steam vents. If you dig a hole big enough to sit in it becomes a natural spa. The steam rising out of the earth heats the water and it is relaxing. The minerals in the sand and hot salt water are supposed to be good for you."

"Would you like some help? If you don't want to share a hole with me, may I borrow your shovel?"

"Thank you Mr. Harry! I usually get my big sister to help but she is sick today."

"There's no mister, it is just Harry."

Soon the two of them were sitting and relaxing in their private spa. Harry idly wondered why there was nothing like this in England as he lay his head back on the sand.

* * *

Harry was woken a few hours later as a wave washed over his face. Apparently he had fallen asleep. Compared to what he had been sitting in, the wave felt cold and inspired him to move quickly. He found that his clothes he used as a pillow were now sopping wet and gritty as he struggled into them. A few locals who were grilling food on the beach laughed at him as he tried to maintain his dignity and slunk away. As he looked around, he was clearly the last person out of the holes and they were waiting to see when he would wake up. 

After walking a few minutes away he found a spot to apperate back to his camp. He drank a glass of juice and barely managed to shuck his wet and grimy clothes before falling into the cot in the tent and returning to sleep.

* * *

When Harry awoke, it was to pure darkness like he had never really experienced. He pressed the button on the side of his watch to make it glow only to find he had lost another watch to water damage. If he was going to keep doing stuff like that he would have to find a quality watch and not a cheap one. A quick Tempus told him it was around half six. He was surprised to see it say December 24th, but remembered he was half a day ahead of everyone else and had already lived the 23rd. 

When he exited the tent he gasped at the sky. He never knew there were that many stars in the sky. Near the horizon the stars were washed out by the glow of the sun about to rise, but overhead he could really see the heavens for the first time. He used an incendio spell to light a fire while gathering food for his breakfast. As his water heated for tea and his eggs were frying, he sat and watched the sunrise. He sat and enjoyed the sight of a sunrise at sea and wondered if he would ever become immune to its beauty. He pulled a pair of chinese gooseberries (kiwi fruit for everyone else in the world) from the cold box in his tent and sat down for breakfast. Remembering the advice he had been given the previous day, Harry split the furry fruit lengthwise and scooped the insides with a spoon. A simple breakfast, but far healthier than an English breakfast of sausages and bacon.

Returning to the tent for a change of clothing and a shower, Harry discovered a new problem. Taking off his pajamas was pure torture, he had acquired a full body sunburn except on his back and the area covered by his trunks. After quickly tearing through his charms books, the best he could manage was a numbing charm. Anti-burn potion didn't work, and there was no bloodshed or broken bones for his only real healing charm (Episky thanks to Tonks) to repair. He vowed to find some remedy when he next went into town, a man shouldn't have to live numb or flinching when his clothes brushed his skin. His body seemed to radiate heat, an unusual sensation, and one completely new to him. He thought he had experienced all the ways for a man to hurt after his years at Hogwarts, but apparently not.

He showered and quickly decided not to bother with clothing he would only have to painfully remove later. He just put on a pair of trunks, applied a bubble head charm, and headed to his beach.

Harry was pleased at how much easier it seemed to be to swim in nice warm salt water rather than the Hogwarts lake in February. He spent a while in the shallows learning how to swim (it isn't nearly as hard to kick and paddle when you don't need to worry about your air) before following a few brightly colored fish deeper. A bit of human transfiguration lengthened his feet and gave him webbed toes. Soon he found a small reef on what appeared to be an underwater cliff. Brightly colored sea fans and fish made up for the sparseness of actual coral, but as Harry had only ever seen a reef in a book, it was quite nice.

A voice startled him. "You scare my fish. Move from my home."

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin, he looked around and couldn't find anyone or anything that he should be able to hear. "Who's there?"

"You can speak! I have never heard of such a thing." The voice was coming from in front and just below him. A long gray eel as thick as Harry's arm emerged from a crack in the wall.

"Oh, hello there. I didn't mean to scare the fish. I was just exploring. I am surprised I can speak too. I thought parseltongue only worked with snakes, I never thought it might work with eels. Then again you are the first eel I have ever seen."

"Parseltongue? I have never heard of this. This is my part of the wall, all the little fish here belong to me."

"Ok, I won't eat your little fish. I might eat some of the bigger ones though. I live on the surface, above the water. The island belongs to me now."

"What will I get in return for letting you eat my fish? You may live there but the island belongs to no one."

"No I suppose it doesn't really, but a lot of people think it does. What would you like in return for some of your fish?"

"There is a fruit from above that I once had. One fell in the sea and I liked eating it. It is orange and oblong, the skin was like mine smooth and tough but the inside was stringy and sweet. It was the size of your fist. Bring me one and I will give you a fish."

That sounded like what he had heard a mango described as. Where in the world was he going to find a mango? They weren't even native to New Zealand, where had the eel gotten one? "I will try to find one. I will bring it when the sun is in the top of the sky if you will bring me a fish big enough for me to eat. Where did you find one the first time?"

"A monster from above dropped one. It was six times longer than you and three times as wide. The part in the water was smooth and rounded, the part above water looked tall and flat. It moved slowly north and slept overnight in the lagoon under the cliff."

"That sounds like a sail boat. It isn't a monster, it is a way my people move in the water. It isn't alive."

"Return with the fruit and I will let you eat my fish. If you don't return with my fruit, my teeth are bigger than yours…" The eel opened his mouth in a very scary grin to reveal a very scary set of sharp pointy teeth.

* * *

The mango turned out to be more expensive than he had imagined, having been imported from elsewhere, but it was still cheaper than buying fresh fish for a meal and he figured it was a good idea to keep his new neighbor happy. He sautéed his freshly caught fish (Tawi as the eel called himself had caught it for him and it was still wiggling when he traded it for his prize.) with herbs and lightly spritzed it with lime juice and seawater, a second mango was a perfect complement. He decided he quite liked the tropical lifestyle, even if technically his new home wasn't far enough north to be tropical.

* * *

After lunch, Harry decided to do some more exploring and headed for the South Island. Several brochures both mundane and magical touted the wonders and beauty of Milford and Doubtful Sounds. They weren't wrong. 

Taking in the sights fully would take months if not years, but he would have dearly loved the chance to fly through the fjords without needing to be invisible. The mountains went right up to the oceans edge then dropped hundreds of meters. The sea was impossibly deep too. If he didn't know the drop would kill him, it would have been tempting to try a dive off one of the cliffs. Instead he settled for a long dive only to pull out at seemingly the last minute while flying. He flew down over the waters and found a school of dolphins at play. Acting on impulse, he flew into the water and tried to join them.

The water was cold! What a difference a few hundred miles made in the water temperature! Getting out of the water, he looked for a place to stand while he cast drying and warming charms. He flew to a beach covered in cobbles and pebbles. After he took care of his immediate concerns, he noticed the local wildlife and suddenly decided that he had indeed fallen through the looking glass. He had read in the brochures that he might see penguins, but penguins were supposed to be big birds in tuxedos… These birds stood upright like penguins, swam like penguins, but had blue heads and blue feathers mixed with the black. He summoned the pamphlet on local wildlife and read the descriptions of the different types of penguins.

"The little penguin (_Eudyptula minor_) can be found in many places around New Zealand and Southern Australia and is the world's smallest penguin. It stands just over 25cm tall and weighs up to a kilogram. Although quite common, its small size and unusual habits make it rarely seen. It prefers to live in burrows, but any sheltered location will do. Near inhabited areas they have even been found living in wooden crates or cardboard boxes. It is also called the Blue Penguin because of its slate blue coloration."

Harry decided to sit and watch the penguins for a while. Apparently that this beach was protected by a depression in the cliff made it a communal burrow for this group. The penguins would not come near him but he found watching them to be quite amusing. Some of them had freshly hatched chicks and he found the feeding both revolting and interesting. The older penguins bent over their young and regurgitated a meal of pulped fish.

He was disturbed from his watching by a high pitched cheeping sound from right beside him. He looked over to see a small fuzzy head poking out of an eggshell. Not stopping to think, he helped the chick out of its shell. Indignant barks met this interference as two penguins who had been keeping a steady distance rushed over. The mother penguin examined her chick, then began to beat it with her wing and peck it. Harry realized that his scent caused her to reject her chick (he had paid some attention in science class and CoMC after all). He quickly snatched the chick up so it wouldn't be hurt. How could he be so stupid? Well, he supposed it was his problem now.

First things first, this chick needed food. The cheeps were only getting louder. A quick "Accio Fish!" yielded a plethora of small fish, which the other penguins capitalized on too. Harry grabbed a few smaller ones and considered what to do. He laid the fish on a flat rock and picked up another fist sized rock. Using them as a primitive mortar and pestle he quickly made his own fish paste which the hungry chick devoured greedily. Now he had to think of what he was going to do with a baby penguin.

A thought tickled him…. No! Wait, no that couldn't possibly work… It was brilliant, and so absolutely… right.

* * *

The next morning he woke up and cooked breakfast for himself and made fish paste for the penguin. Though it was technically Christmas, he decided that he would wait the extra day to celebrate with his friends. Damn! He still hadn't taken care of the sunburn. Oh well, nothing to do now but grin and bear it. Another numbing charm held him over as he got ready for his port key to take him to England for his visit with the Minister. It was scheduled to take him at half ten local. 

He conjured a small cardboard box and shredded paper bedding for his small penguin friend. After making a few large holes for ventilation he moved the chick to its new home. A wave of his wand changed the color of the box and tied it closed with a ribbon. A hastily scribbled note discussed feeding. It and the flier he originally read were tucked under the ribbon just before the portkey whisked them off to merry old England.

A trip to an all night grocers completed the idea. Harry then apperated to a certain house, set down the penguin's box and several tins of sardines (in water not oil, he didn't want to kill the poor thing) before ringing the bell and apperating away. His penguin problems were solved and in less than twenty four hours, that had to be a new record for a Harry mess.

* * *

The visit to the Ministry did not go well. From the moment he arrived at the visitor's entrance, where his badge read "extortion and hostage taking of world", the press wanted to talk to him. All the questions he would want to ask really if it were anyone but him making these demands. Things like "Are you really going to abandon us all?" "Do you think you really have a chance against Voldemort?" "I want to have your baby!" (To which he replied "Luna, go home!") "How did you come back from beyond the veil?" "Why do you want all that money?" "How could you do this to us?" and others too numerous to mention. 

The Minister wanted to insist it was a matter of his civic duty and he should be glad to do it for free. He said something pithy and likely anatomically impossible. Then they tried to start bartering with him. Their first offers were insulting, but they claimed that after war clean up would be costly. Eventually after an hour of heated "discussion", during which Harry contemplated the benefits of wall-to-wall counseling, he slightly revised his offer.

In addition to immunity and sovereignty after the war, he would get forty percent of the liquid and stock assets, all the libraries and magical objects no matter the content (much better than the half originally which probably would have ended up a highly censored half) and thirty five percent of the real estate. The last he even negotiated to be included in his sovereignty deal, it would be like having safe houses or embassies all over Britain. Since he was planning to make his homes unplottable it wasn't likely that the muggle government would ever stray across them and ask the wrong questions. If they did, a few memory charms and an "official" suggestion that they avoid the area ought to work. It would take a lot of work (and money), but it would be worth it for privacy and assurances that he and his family wouldn't be harassed by small minded ministry bigots.

As he left, he stopped long enough to tell the press that yes; he had reached an agreement with the ministry. Yes, the war would officially start on New Years and that was the last day for death eaters to turn themselves in and beg for mercy. No he didn't get what he originally wanted, but it was "a sacrifice he was willing to make for the greater good".

* * *

Another mango secured him another fish and he enjoyed his evening just wandering around the island. Now that he knew what to look for he was surprised to find three blue penguin burrows on his island, but he had the common sense not to get too close this time. He was pleased he wasn't the only thing living here. A few birds, some penguins, the fish, and Tawi the eel, it was nice. One day, this had potential to be a real home. He considered asking the goblins to see about having "James Evans" emigrate to New Zealand so he could live here in the "winter" months and stay warm year round. Sure he wouldn't be immune and untouchable here, but who cared about that really… 

He made an early bed that night and made sure all his gifts were wrapped and put away in his craft storage space before settling down.

* * *

A loud thump and a girly scream was the first indication the Weasley family and Hermione had that Harry had just arrived in their living room. Apparently one should be standing up and awake when using a portkey instead of wearing it to bed. 

Harry didn't even have time to apply numbing charms to himself before Mrs. Weasley bustled into the room and gave him a bone crushing hug. Harry just whimpered as all that sunburn flared up.

"Oh you poor dear you're positively burning up! And you are so flush! Are you sick? What's wrong dear, you sound like you're in pain? I knew we should have dragged you back here, then you wouldn't be so sick, my poor son!"

"Mum, please just let go for a minute and I will be fine I promise! Oh god, please let go…"

She released him and watched as he applied his numbing charms.

"Dear lord it's cold!" He called in his winter cloak and wrapped it around himself, "If you will excuse me for ten minutes I need to go get dressed properly."

He ascended the stair past a clearly pondering Hermione. He nipped into the bathroom and dressed in warmer clothes. He got downstairs and assured Mrs. Weasley he was fine and she didn't need to worry before she hurried back into the kitchen. Hermione was flipping through a first aid book while sitting on the couch with Ron. Ginny occupied one of the chairs.

"Come here Harry and I will take care of that sunburn for you. Honestly, to get that bad you must have fallen asleep."

"Thank Merlin! I haven't had time to visit a healer and the best I could do was these numbing charms. I roasted my entire front except what was covered by my trunks."

Hermione muttered a few words and slowly moved here wand over him. "So, ready to tell us where you went?"

"Nope, I want to hear what you think first. You recognized this as sunburn so you have some clues to go on. Let me hear your guesses."

"Well, first of all, your sunburn and the clothes you showed up in tell us you were somewhere warm. You mentioned going to see the mountains and ocean. That could mean a number of places. Jamaica, Cuba, a few countries in Central America, Brazil, Chile, a number of African countries, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand are all valid choices. You hit the floor from the portkey horizontally. You were sleeping when it went off. So now we are down to the last three thanks to time zones. Indonesia is getting on noon and you don't usually sleep that late. So we are down to two."

"Wow, excellent use of logic and from so little. You never cease to amaze me. You haven't even had a chance to see your Christmas gifts yet."

"Yay! Presents," Ginny cheered, "We've got some for you too."

"Neat, you three and Luna got really unique gifts this year and not just because I am a bum and waited to go Christmas shopping. Hermione, here is yours. Ginny, these two are for you. Ron, be careful this is really rare and the maker would be quite displeased if I asked to buy another one."

"You were behind Luna's mystery gift?" Ron asked, "She mentioned earlier that she got something special, but she wouldn't let us know what it was."

"Oh, I'm glad she liked it. I got here a special pet. She's the only person above third year I know without a familiar. And I found something that was just totally Luna when I thought about it."

"Oooo! New books! Magical Traditions of the Polynesians, Talisman Creation; a Guide to Spiritual Pacts, and Community Magic; Collective Curses and Shared Will. I've never even heard of the last two branches of magic. And the first will be an interesting read I am sure."

"Yes you have, I mentioned Hogwarts' greatness in my Theory lectures as an example of shared belief and intent. That is a great example of Community Magic. If you wait a few moments you may get a chance to study another."

Ginny opened her gift and didn't say anything as she ran her fingers over the intricate carvings. Each detail of the fern leaf was duplicated. Harry took the time to explain about the necklace and comb, and about their pacts.

"These Hermione are Talismans. Ginny, come here and let me show you something special about that hair comb."

He inserted the tines of the comb above her hair tie and grabbed her pony tail. With a simple swish of his hand all of her hair was spread like a fan around the hair tie. She looked rather like a peacock strutting its stuff. Ron was nearly on the floor laughing as Harry conjured a hand mirror for her. "If anything disturbs it, it will pop right back to how it was styled as soon as it can. It will stay that way until you change it or remove the comb."

"Count yourself lucky I look good like this, or you would be in for a world of hurt!"

Harry had decided to give Ron the cloak of feathers. Harry could fly any number of ways, but this was a way for Ron to stand out and be unique. He explained about it not being true flight and about it being a dying art that the maker wished to see revived. Ron was enthusiastic and wanted to go try it as soon as possible but the others held him back.

* * *

Dinner was a riotous good time for everyone. Harry told them what he had done so far (except for owning the island or even living there, he only admitted to being in New Zealand). Charlie tried to convince him that he needed to visit the Antipodean Opal Eye reserve on the South Island and even offered to give him the name of one of his former coworkers to make everything happen. Harry didn't know if he would have time, but he thought it might be fun. New Year's was going to be busy. Aside from wanting to see the fireworks in Sydney Harbor, there was a Samoan Fire Dance on New Years Eve that people told him not to miss, and he had tickets to a quidditch match during the day. 

Luna showed up after dinner and showed everyone her new familiar "Alfred." Harry tried to point out that Alfred was a girl, but it didn't help. The others told him later that he was completely right, a penguin was so totally Luna. Harry and Luna talked for a few minutes about where he had come from and his care. Luna told him that as long as she didn't lock it Alfred seemed to prefer her trunk. She had to pull him out several times and eventually decided she would just have to build him a nest in there. Apparently he would get his blue feathers in two or three weeks and be full size before summer, she had searched her extensive creature library when she discovered him. Fred and George offered to help charm his black feathers bronze so he would be wearing Ravenclaw colors, but Luna was thoroughly against it.

It was fun to hear how the newspapers were playing his new deal. The Prophet was clearly beginning to understand who owned the company and he like theirs best. The headline read "Potter's Christmas Gift to the World" and took the stance that he was being gracious and benevolent by giving the "people" a greater share because he felt they would need it more. They took his "sacrifices for the greater good" comment and ran with it. All told the backlash was decidedly Pro-Harry something that would never have happened even a year ago.

The night wore on and everyone had a good time relaxing until it was time for bed. Harry reluctantly activated his portkey after thanking Hermione profusely for teaching him how to cure sunburn.

* * *

Harry enjoyed the Maori magical demonstration; it included a magical version of Haka as well. He never made it to the dragon preserve, but he did get to see a few other interesting things. He visited Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngauruhoe, a pair of volcanoes almost in the dead center of North Island. He collected some volcanic glass and other interesting rocks. He trekked through forests searching for kiwis. He didn't find any of the strange birds that were a national symbol but he did find a small piece of greenstone in a creek bed. 

Both magical and mundane versions of the Samoan Fire Dance were absolutely fascinating. The dancers flung fire and magic around their bodies with almost reckless abandon. The magical version included several spells Harry knew he had to learn. Breathing fire was impressive enough for dragons, but to become a living torch or to exhale a long fiery snake was downright awesome!

Fireworks in Sydney were nice, it was good to have something to celebrate and Harry made his all important New Year's resolution. No longer would he just wish to survive another year, this time he would defeat Voldemort.

* * *

Harry arrived in Wellington for the quidditch match in time to watch all the pre-game fun. In preparation for the World Cup this summer, Samoa and New Zealand were facing off to decide who advanced forwards. On "his" side, there were the All Blacks. On the other, Manu Samoa. The All Blacks would be dressed in Black and Silver, Manu Samoa in Blue and White. 

The All Blacks took the field lacking in both robes and shirts. They lined up and began their war chant, allowing their magic to summon a small cloud that rained on their opponents while they danced.

_Ringa pakia!_

_Uma tiraha!_

_Turi whatia!_

_Hope whai ake!_

_Waewae takahia kia kino!_

_Ka mate, ka mate_

_Ka ora, ka ora_

_Ka mate, ka mate_

_Ka ora, ka ora_

_Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru_

_Nāna nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā_

_Ā upane, ka upane_

_Ā upane, ka upane_

_Whiti te rā, hī!_

The New Zealand fans went wild at this traditional challenge to the field. Manu Samoa chose to respond in kind with their own war chant and dance. Their magic conjured jets and animals of fire that burned off the cloud and dried the pitch.

_Le Manu Samoai le malo faifai,le manu samoai le malo faifai  
Le Manu Samoa lenei ua ou sau  
Leai se isi Manu oi le atu laulau  
Ua ou sai nei ma le mea atoa  
O lou malosi ua atoatoa  
Ia e faatafa ma e soso ese  
Leaga o lenei manu e uiga ese  
Le Manu Samoa  
Le Manu Samoa  
Le Manu Samoa e o mai I Samoa_

That was the most bizarre way to start a quidditch match Harry had ever seen, but he had to admit he liked it. Maybe he should convince the team to challenge the Slytherins to a dance off before the Cup final… It was certainly working up a lot of team spirit here, the crowd was near to rioting and the captains hadn't even shaken hands or mounted their brooms yet.

The Samoan team was downright deadly in the main stream. Their beaters were huge and deadly accurate. The chasers might have been a little slower than the All Blacks, but they took hits like no ones business and protected whoever had the quaffle with the same reckless abandon for personal safety they seemed to use in the fire dance. The All Blacks were fast and brutal, a well oiled machine. Their seeker was faster and seemed to have the advantage in broom speed too.

A sudden collision midfield tore Harry away from the seekers. A Samoan chaser had intentionally collided with the Kiwi carrying the quaffle knocking it from his grasp. Chasers from both teams were rushing to grab it, wait… One of the Samoan chasers was flying lower than the others. Harry would never have believed what happened next if he hadn't seen it. The other Samoan had been high above field and Harry saw a move he had only heard of one man pulling off. The upper Samoan chaser pulled a "Dangerous Dai Death Drop", leaping completely off his broom and falling between the two Kiwis snatching the quaffle. His teammate below them caught him and they recovered his broom.

Meanwhile the seekers had torn off chasing the snitch. They were neck and neck. Harry caught a glimpse of the small golden ball and couldn't tell who would catch it. Both seekers reached for it… And the Kiwi caught it! The final score was 260-180 Manu Samoa would not be advancing, which was too bad in Harry's opinion they were a tough team.

* * *

Harry waited outside the locker rooms, hoping to get a chance to talk to that crazy bastard who jumped of his broom. Eventually he walked out with his team mates patting him on the back. 

"Excuse me, if you don't mind I'd like to ask you something…"

"Hey guys, I'll meet you at the bar in a few, I gotta talk to this bloke here!"

"Thanks, I just wanted to say that move you did today was perhaps the most insane thing I have ever seen. Did you go over that in practice or was it all luck? I've never heard of anything like that."

"A bit of both. We have practiced jumping to a team mates broom in case ours get damaged, which you may be able to tell happens a bit. We never specifically practiced for a death drop, but with luck we pulled it off. You look familiar, have we met?"

"I'm Harry Potter. I'm a bit famous back in England, and I play for one of the Hogwarts House Teams, Seeker. I was also at the last World Cup Final if you were there."

"Yeah, I remember you, you're that crazy little pom! I came to the tournament to support my friend Krum, but even I have to admit that was some fine flying to get past the dragon. I am Mils Muliaina."

"I am not sure I like being "that crazy little pom" but it is nicer than some of the things I've been called lately. Yeah I was in the tournament, Victor's an alright guy. Too bad you guys lost today, I was really impressed with your team."

"Nah, that's ok, I play for the other team sometimes too. I'm on one of the Kiwi rugby teams, and I am hoping to join the All Blacks when I get old enough. They took second in the muggle world cup last year and I might get a tryout before the next one."

"What? How old are you? I figured since you were playing for your national team you were already graduated."

"Nope, this will shock you, but I was born just a few hours before you, 31 July 1980. I've been on the reserve team since the last World Cup, which is how I met Krum and was in England for your first task. I wouldn't have been playing today except one of our guys broke a leg in practice yesterday."

"Wow, that's crazy. Great job though. Mind if I tag along to the pub with you and your team? I'll buy a round. In fact, I've got a few drinks that haven't come out in England I'm looking for some opinions on."

"You're offering to buy? Let's get going. Rugby players never turn down a drink, and most of us play that too. I hope you've got deep pockets, because you just bought yourself a new group of friends!"

* * *

After a few rounds with guys, and much "quality control sampling" from his private stores, Harry even managed to convince the Samoan seeker to teach him the fire dance spells. Mils had coerced a promise to be at the finals in Bulgaria if he wasn't too busy offing Dark Lords. Speaking of Dark Lords, his stories got him a few rounds for free, which his friends promptly swiped, but he didn't care. They all got pissed and had to be physically rousted by the Aurors before they would leave the bars. It was only through fast talking by the team manager, who had just shown up, that they all managed to avoid at least a night in prison. It seems that they were a bit careless with practicing the fire spells pissed as they were and managed a bit of damage.

* * *

"All in all, this was a great holiday, I need to come back down here after this is all over." Harry mused to himself as he packed up his campsite two days later. "It's been fun, and I learned a lot, but now it is time to get to work." 

He grabbed a wind and vanished.

* * *

"Harry, great to see you, how are you doing?" Ron asked as he stepped onto the platform and got ready to return to school, "Lucy got back last night but came to the Burrow because you were too far away." 

"Oh crap, I forgot Lucy. Thanks a ton Ron, I can't believe I would forget her. As for the holiday, it was great. Me and the entire Samoan National Quidditch team are no longer welcome in Wellington without an Auror escort! By the way, I got you a signed picture."

"What? What happened? Thanks for the picture. Hey wait a minute… you're in this picture too. You're all drunk! And why are you breathing fire?"

"Yeah… about that… Let's just say that picture in your hands was exhibit A in something that almost got me a chance to visit the Antarctic Asylum for Atypical Criminals. After we bribed er… persuaded the barrister that we didn't even know those ruffians in the picture, they set that whole "Auror escort" thing. We each got a copy of the picture and I asked them all to sign mine, I signed theirs."

"But…"

"Look, I don't want to talk about it. So, let's talk about the Quidditch Cup, I've got some ideas for the final match…"

* * *

A/N; Yes, I am proud of my Kiwi heritage. I had fun with this chapter, hence it being double length. I didn't know what or how to do Maori and Samoan magical cultures, so I just kind of improvised. I took muggle things like carvings, and the feather cloaks, and magiced them. Maoris are good at weather control magic, Samoans at fire magic. Neither use a wand for those magics. I am well aware that the fire dance is a recent invention, but you know what, my story my rules. It was invented in the muggle world recently after someone saw the wizards doing it without all the burning petrol and torches.

I didn't just give the Kiwis the match because I am biased (oh yeah, you better believe the All Blacks are my team!), but I also wanted a reason to have Harry able to meet the Samoan team. Getting to meet the winners is impossible after a match. I stuck Mils Muliaina in there for two reasons. 1) He is a Samoan sportsman and a damn good one.. 2) I thought it fun to have him play for both countries even if he wasn't on the All Blacks line up untill several years later.

I've got some pics for this chapter up in my profile, so check them out.


	26. Obliviate!

Disclaimer; Putting Make A Wish references in your fanfics is bad. You instantly receive fifty PM's or reviews asking if you have read it. Of course I've read it! It's one of my favorites, right up there with most of Nonjon's fics.

A/N; Boo-Yah! My fic reaches 100K words! This chapter marks the turning point into a much darker fic. If nothing else, this chapter bumps the rating to a solid M or maybe NC-17. The first scene made me queasy to write…

* * *

Monday night found Harry in a hooded cloak paying a visit to his least favorite store. He walked through the front door of Borgin and Burkes and Black locked all the doors out of the room. The windows darkened and became unbreakable. 

"I am here looking for information." He almost hissed at the man.

Borgin paled, "What do you need sir?"

"You are going to tell me where I can find Death Eaters."

"Why would I do something suicidal like that?" He started to get his back up. "The Dark Lord protects his own and I aint talking."

"You are going to talk because when I am done with you, you will be begging me to kill you. I need to know where to find your friends, how long it takes and how many pieces you are in when I am done is entirely up to you. In case you haven't noticed, your Dark Lord isn't here, I am."

Borgin nearly pissed himself. There was something in this stranger's voice that said he meant it. He tried to surreptitiously retrieve the wand he kept hidden in his waistband. The moment his elbows came out indicating his hands would be leaving his sides, Harry whipped his hand forward and gave a push with his magic. Borgin was soon spread eagle and paralyzed, stuck to the wall behind the counter. Harry vanished his robes, but left his undergarments, exposing the canvas for what was to come.

"Now, let's hope the answer to this question is yes. Do you have any veritaserum in this fine shop of yours?"

He gulped, "No."

"Well then I guess that means we are going to have to do this the hard way. I look forward to seeing how many painfully cursed objects there are in here and learning how to use them. I'm going to go have a look around and try to get some ideas. Let me know when you are ready to start talking…"

As he walked over to a display case and bent to look, he recalled the second most important lesson the Sadist taught him. Pain can be ignored. Anticipation of pain is scary. But far, far worse was knowing how badly you were going to hurt and feeling good at the same time… The pleasure and the pain, anticipation and desire…. That was true torture. He silently sent his phantoms to do their work while he mused aloud about every object he came across.

Every once in a while Harry would find something particularly interesting and vanish it to his craft space. He shrunk down both book cases and vanished them sight unseen. There wasn't going to be anything truly bad on the open floor, but still, spoils of war and all that. It was almost forty five minutes later before Harry approached the front counter again. Borgin was nearly incoherent at this point, his physical excitement was clear through his shorts, while his mental anguish was clear in his eyes.

Harry held up a wickedly curved goblin fighting knife. "So, first question, where is the entrance to your private collection?"

Borgin mumbled something unintelligible.

"What was that? You're going to need to speak up!" Harry smashed the hilt down with magically enhanced muscles onto his right thumb at the same time a phantom hand stroked his inner thigh and a nonexistent tongue circled a nipple. The bone was a fine powder.

Borgin screamed. Then he cracked, "Move… move the rug… password… parseltongue."

"Thank you, I'll be back in a few minutes. You have fun while I'm gone." He whipped a dirty red carpet aside and looked at the trap door. He cast a few detection spells, and decided to just skip trying the password. The thing was probably trapped. He just shot a blast of pure magic and brushed the saw dust off his robes as the trap door, any traps, and a good portion of the floor were destroyed.

Borgin whimpered pathetically, a large chunk of his floor was now sticking out of the wall just inches away from his two closest friends. He decided now would be a good time to soil himself.

Harry descended the stone stairs and found himself in a well organized basement, Against one wall, two bookcases full of small silver vials flanked a table with a pensieve. Some of the labels on the memory vials sickened him to the core. If he ever felt remorse for what he was going to do tonight, it was now gone and only a cold burning hatred remained. Harry walked over to the only bookcase in the room containing actual books and scanned the titles. Some he already had, some he didn't, and some he wished he had never seen. Vanishing the first two categories, he set fire to the rest. A small collection of truly evil artifacts soon found themselves similarly destroyed. Moving back to the pensieve and memories, he summoned a battered old trunk from the corner and cast the packing charm Tonks had used. All the many vials of memories lined up on trays and put themselves away in the trunk. He vanished the pensieve. That, unlike the rest of the shop, he had a use for. He moved over to the rack of poisoned and cursed weapons, the whole lot disappeared after being shrunk, He grabbed the trunk and headed back upstairs.

"Quite an interesting basement you had, pity something happened to it. Second question, why did you never take the mark?"

Harry didn't even have to pick up the dagger, "I couldn't, I am too public. If I ever did take the Mark, I'd be in a ministry holding cell an hour later spilling my secrets to veritaserum."

"Pity you never thought to have any in your store." Harry shattered his left knee. "That's for making work. Third question, Who do you know that supports the Dark Lord?" His left elbow joined his knee, his member was gripped by a phantom.

Borgin passed out, only to be enervated almost immediately. He began spewing names.

His right wrist exploded in pain and fog crept into his vision. A tongue did some exploring. "All the names."

More names soon joined the list and he began to look frantic as he reached the end of the list. Harry could tell he was desperately trying to think of more names for his torturer. His other knee joined the first.

"Ah-ah-ah! You were about to lie to me. You should have just stopped altogether, slander will get you no where. Now, where can I find Fenrir Greyback?"

Borgin panicked, "I don't know, please just let me go! I'll tell you everything just make it all stop!"

"Ummm… No. Guess then." The fingers of his left hand joined the list, while his neck and shoulders were being massaged.

He suggested a few places. Some were businesses here in the alley, who had a bed in a back room for certain individuals, others were brothels or bars.

"Where can I find Severus Snape?" A hip cracked and he was being stroked suggestively and his twins were being cradled.

"Sp… Sp… Spinner's End."

"Oh how delightfully ironic. Well I think our play time is coming to an end. What do you think I should do with you?"

"Oh please… God… kill me. Make it all stop. Make it all go away."

"Told you I would have you begging for that. No, I have something special in mind for you. You are going to be a message. You will live, but every day of your life will be a warning to anyone who sees you."

Harry started at his feet and worked his way up. The phantoms disappeared, their work done. He broke every bone and demolished every joint he could. Then he arranged the limbs in twisted mockery of human form and started quick and dirty healing techniques. Every time Borgin fainted from the pain he was brought back. When Harry was done, the bones had fused all wrong. The best a healer could do would be to rebreak them and straighten them some. A person could only regrow so many bones. Borgin would never walk again, and would always need someone to feed him and take care of him.

As a final precaution, Harry ripped through Borgin's feeble mind looking for anything interesting. Catching a memory from the middle of Harry's fifth year of Mundungus Fletcher, Harry almost died laughing. He blew the door to the shop safe off its hinges and reached in to retrieve a small jewelry box. He opened it to find a heavy gold locket, with a stylized "S", what luck. He had come for intel, but he was leaving having accomplished so much more. He carefully examined the psychic scent of the horcrux, making sure he could track the others later.

Standing up, Harry called in two items and held them before his face. "Borgin, do you recognize what these are? Oh, good, I see recognition in there. As you can tell, this," He held up his right hand, "is a grenade. And this, is a tank full of propane. We're going to play a fun new game called Arson." He set the tank down in the center of the room and placed the Horcrux on top of it. He pulled the pin on the grenade and placed it atop the Horcrux. When he let go with his magic, things were going to get very interesting. He erected a shield across the store front and passed invisibly through the wall with his prisoner and trunk of perverse memories.

* * *

A large crowd of people had gathered around the store. Harry hadn't bothered to silence the room so the whole alley got an earful of Borgin's torture. As he had intended them too of course, he was always careful to keep his voice low and tones quiet. A team of Aurors were trying synchronized curses against the door. Harry and Borgin walked further down the alley before turning to watch. 

Harry let go of the grenade. There were two distinct explosions. The first was a loud bang accompanied by a metallic clanging. The second was more of a dull whomp that everyone felt deep in their chests despite the shield, about a second later. Within seconds the building had collapsed into a flaming pile of wreckage. A whispered "Accio Horcrux" and "Accio Locket" proved the deed was done.

"Well my dear mister Borgin, I do hope you enjoyed your night as much as I did. Unfortunately, you are headed to that lovely ministry holding pen we were talking about and I can't let them know who I am now can I? No, mustn't have them think I am actually capable of doing what needs to be done. Obliviate!" The last two hours were gone from his mind.

Borgin was found a half hour later in the atrium of the ministry with his trunk of memories sitting on his chest. The memories alone meant that he would never see the sunshine again, plus they ensured a healthy dose of veritaserum was forthcoming, He was convicted of numerous murders, rapes, and child molestations. He was a truly sickening individual, and no one pitied him his present condition.

* * *

In an alley not far away in muggle London, Harry was being thoroughly sick behind a dumpster. He felt absolutely filthy. Stealing a phrase from Albus, he tried to tell himself it was all for the "greater good" but the words sounded just as hollow coming from him as his former mentor. 

"Rest well Albus, I got the Locket. Now you can rest in peace, it wasn't in vain. The others will come soon."

Harry slept in the MoM that night, he didn't feel clean enough to walk among the students. He missed breakfast and showed up to lunch looking as haggard as anyone had ever seen him. No one asked what was wrong.

* * *

Harry approached McGonagall after his transfiguration lessons were over. "Headmistress, I need your help. Can I count on you to help me without asking why?" 

"You're obviously very troubled. You can always come to me for help. I will try not to pry, you've got a lot of weight on your shoulders and I am glad you trust me enough to ask for help. What do you need?"

"Obliviate me. Please erase my memory of everything that happened from dinner yesterday until now. Replace it with me going to bed early and getting up late."

"Are you alright?"

"No, I am not. Please, do this for me. I've got some things written down to clue me in on the important bits, but I need to get rid of last night. Please."

"Just this once. I don't know what happened, and I don't want to know. But from now on, don't get yourself into these situations."

"Thank you Professor, thank you so much…" He hugged her and gave a muffled sob against her shoulder.

McGonagall's heart just about broke. Here was her nice polite boy, who never showed emotion, hugging her and crying… Whatever happened had clearly disturbed him greatly. Reluctantly, she raised her wand. "Obliviate." She left his memories of the last few minutes alone. He would remember asking for her help and her warning not to let it become a common occurrence.

As they ended their embrace and Harry got rid of any stray tears, McGonagall told him, "Mr. Potter, you are excused from classes for the remainder of the day. I will inform Professor Flitwick."

Nodding, Harry left. His transfiguration teacher, Head of House, and Headmistress tried not to wonder what he had done or seen yesterday that caused this breakage of a normally indomitable spirit.

* * *

Walking back towards the Common Room, Harry caught sight of two words written on his left hand. The ink was smudged, but readable. It said "Pensieve, Manor." So he changed direction and decided to take his own advice. He idly wondered where he had gotten a pensieve. 

He walked into the library of the manor to find he had made a few additions. Two weapons racks, two more bookcases and a small pile of assorted objects in addition to the pensieve on the table. Sending a flick of magic, he noticed that most of the weapons were particularly nasty. Either poisonous or cursed, except for the one item he really didn't expect to see.

He picked up a black handgun, it seemed so out of place amongst the others. Examining it he found a silencing spell in the barrel and action, and conjuration and transfiguration magic in the magazine. When he eventually figured out hot to remove the magazine that is. The whole thing had been strengthened and hardened as well. He was almost paranoid about keeping his finger away from the trigger as he examined it. He knew nothing about guns and he didn't particularly want to learn.

He knew wizards had a very old code about guns, and he wasn't about to violate it. Simply put, it was; DON'T! Except for a few hideously difficult shields (and the shields Lucivar had taught him which were not too hard at all), most magic wouldn't block physical objects. Wizards had developed an extreme paranoia about guns in the few centuries since muggles had invented them. It was bad taboo for a wizard to use a firearm against another wizard. If he did, he may as well use the next bullet for himself. Harry had no intention of breaking that taboo, and decided he would try to find a way to destroy it safely, he could see why it was in the private room even if it didn't have any dark magic.

He eventually remembered why he was there in the first place and proceeded to the pensieve. He entered the only memory in the bowl.

* * *

Harry was standing alone in the library holding a piece of bloodstained parchment. The new additions were behind him. The memory Harry looked up. 

"Hello Harry, you are me and I am you, we know that. I've got some valuable information for us, but it was very costly to secure. I am going to ask McGonagall to wipe my memory so I wont have to remember getting it. First the good news, we found the Locket. It has been completely destroyed, so don't worry. Now, on to the list of known death eaters we are going to need to take care of… And some locations of interest… Apparently Snape used to live somewhere called Spinner's End. I don't know what or where that is so get Hermione to drag us to the library. Well that's all I need to pass on. I hope this goes well, you really don't want to know where this information came from or how I got it." The memory Harry burned the parchment and vanished the ashes.

* * *

Meanwhile in Sarajevo… A U.S. Marine was getting reamed a new one after being unable to account for some grenades and nearly a pound of C-4. His commanding officer was going on an on about the amount of paperwork he was going to have to file to both report the loss and to demote him back to latrine cleaning where he belonged. It was suggested that he find them, yesterday! 

A few hours later, a green French soldier who still carried more gear than he absolutely needed was mugged in an alley and stripped of anything even remotely valuable by local insurgents. Within a few minutes they were enjoying either Kraft Dinner or Beef Stroganoff MRE's while the Marine reported to his superior that all missing equipment had been accounted for.


	27. Horcrux Hunting

Disclaimer; Not my worlds, just my dreams.

* * *

Harry slipped out to the Shrieking Shack later that week, it was time to do some hunting. Sitting in the second story, Harry closed his eyes and began a leisurely descent into the Abyss. It was so different from when he had gone in for his offering and birthright.

As he passed the level of the White, he looked back and saw a sky full of jewels. There were little pinpricks of light for each of the magical inhabitants of the area. He widened his mind's eye and the "sky" became clearer. Right where he was, nearly every one and everything was magical, but with his expanded view, he could see great empty areas with only one or two points of light. Far to the south, there were two strips of lights with a great blob between them. Diagon and Knockturn Alleys with the Goblins of Gringotts at the turn.

He descended deeper, and the stars grew fewer. The deeper he went, the stronger the stars got however. At the level equivalent to a Green Jewel, there were a double handful in the area of Hogwarts, including two that felt familiar. In Gryffindor tower, a young woman smiled in her sleep as she felt Harry give her a mental kiss. In Ravenclaw a girl looked up from her book, she could have sworn she was just hugged by someone…

At the Red, there were six in Hogwarts and a handful in the rest. Moody and McGonagall joined his partners in crime as well as Hermione. He wondered if Hermione knew how powerful she really was. Lucy, Kaelas, and Hedwig were bright strong stars, while the others flickered and pulsed as their magic fluctuated.

Deeper, deeper still he traveled. At the level of the Gray, he saw only two in the whole of England. They were so close Harry barely noticed they were separate. One was broadcasting hatred and rage, the other was as cool and still as a pond. Voldemort and Nagini. It was nice to know where they were, but it wasn't time for that showdown yet.

Suddenly a new star burst in his mind, full of pain and fear. It burned brightly for a few seconds before vanishing and reappearing a few miles away moments later. Acting on instinct, Harry apperated close to where it appeared.

* * *

He appeared in a dark hallway. His shoes squeaked on the linoleum beneath his feet, and the sound echoed down the hall. He heard the sound of a young girl crying nearby. He searched for the source of the sound, but the echoing halls only hampered him. He quickly determined that he was in a muggle primary school after opening a few doors looking for the girl.

Finally he remembered there were better ways to search and found a very agitated sapphire power nearby. He entered the room, which turned out to be the school library, and found a young girl weeping in a corner.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Go away." She said, not even looking up.

"Is there anything I can do to help you? I promise, there's nothing you can tell me that I will find weird."

"I don't know! I was watching the telly with my brother when his skin turned…" She sobbed for a moment. "His skin turned green! And… and… He got so mad… He thought I did it. He started yelling and then everything disappeared. It was so dark and cold… and then I was here in the library. I don't know what happened!"

"Ok, I understand. There's nothing to worry about everything is going to be just fine. You need to relax." He sat down next to her and gave her a hug. "Everything is going to be fine. I know what happened to your brother and how you got here. Something like that happened to me when I was little too."

"Why are you dressed funny?" She was apparently easy to distract.

"Because I like dressing like this. I think these robes make me look like a wizard. What do you think?"

"No, wizards don't were red and gold ties. I'm not sure they wear ties at all. And you need a hat! A pointy one."

"Really, what color hat do I need? A black hat would be boring I think."

"You need a purple hat, with silver stars!"

"Okay, well let me just pull out my… magic wand," He drew it with a flourish, "Spin it like so… Say the magic word, and we'll see if I get a hat. Conjurous!" A purple hat with silver stars appeared on the floor in front of them.

"Wow! That was almost like real magic."

"You think so? Hmm… This hat won't fit me, you better take it." He plopped it on her head, where it fit perfectly.

"Thanks. Hey, you never told me your name. I'm Rachel Pembrook."

"I am Harry Potter. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes. You said you knew what happened to my brother?"

"Yes, your brother is going to be just fine. I once made my teacher's hair turn blue, and then later disappeared and landed on the school roof." She giggled. "Well you want to know the secret behind both of us? The secret to why this happened?"

"Uh-huh…"

He bent over and said in a stage whisper, "Magic is real."

"Really?"

"Of course, where did your new hat come from then? How did you get here?"

"Wow, I thought it was all just stories. So are you really a wizard?"

"Yep, I am. I knew you were upset so I came to try to help you. Magic does funny things when wizards and witches get upset."

"How did you know I was upset? And how did you get here."

"Magic is the answer to both questions. It is how you got here too. What you did was called accidental magic, it happens when we get emotional. Let me guess something really funny happened right before your brother turned green didn't it?"

"I thought so, he thought it was stupid. I was thinking he was stupid, then his skin changed and he got angry."

"He didn't hit you did he?"

"No, Andy would never hit me. He was just angry. Ever since our parents died he has been moody and had a temper. But he won't hurt me."

"Good."

"So you're saying I can do magic too? Like you did?"

"Not yet, but one day you will. One day you will be a powerful and special witch. Just wait and see."

"Can you teach me?"

"No, I am still only learning too. The school where I learn magic doesn't take students until they are eleven years old. How old are you."

"I'm eight, but I turn nine in the summer."

"Okay, then you've only got a few more years until you can go."

"That's not fair. Why won't they teach me?"

"I don't make the rules, I'm sorry…. But if you want, we can bend a few rules."

"Like what?"

"Well, I am not allowed to teach you, its against the law. And the school won't teach you yet. But there is nothing in the law that says I can't give you a wand, some cool robes, and a hat and let you teach yourself."

"Really? That would be so cool!"

"Happy to help, but there are a few rules. First, no one but your brother can know that you are learning magic that means no using it where people can see. Second, you are not allowed to use magic to hurt people. Ever. Third, if anything happens wrong you need to let me know immediately. Even if it is embarrassing. We can fix anything, but only if we know about it. I will give you something to let you speak with me wherever I am so you can ask for help if you need it."

"I promise."

"Good." He called in one of his trunks. He pulled out the bundle of cloth he had taken to storing his captured wands in and a few older robes. "Now, I want you to wave these wands through the air, and we will see if one will work for you. While you do that, I am going to make these robes fit you. So what colors would you like? I can do any color or pattern."

She started giving the wands a weak wave one by one while she called out color combinations. Soon she had a robe for every day of the week with patterns and combinations Dumbledore would be proud of. She started with purple and silver to match her hat, and then some lurid red and green (sure to wind up Slytherin and Gryffindor students), the silver and gold weren't too bad, but the blue and white tie-dye made him wonder if she wasn't another Luna in the making. After nearly twenty wands one finally reacted with bright sparks. He took it from her and cast a few monitoring charms on it and a notebook to record what she was doing.

"Alright, now just one last thing before I need to take you home and fix your brother, this mirror I'm giving you is like a magic telephone. To call me just hold it in front of your face and say 'I need to speak to Harry.' And my mirror will shake and I will hear your voice. If you have any problems, don't be shy about calling me. I am going to make all this shrink so you can fit them in your pocket. When you get to your room, just tap it with your wand and everything will return to normal. Be sure to keep a journal of all the spells you discover. Write down your magic words and what they do alright?"

"Ok. Wow, it's getting late. We might need to go home, I don't want Andy to get worried, and you still need to help me fix him."

Together they walked the few blocks back to Rachel's home. She was excited by all the way's she wanted to experiment. Secretly Harry was excited too, he wondered just what feats of magic someone could do if they didn't know any rules. Now with any luck, he might beat the reversal squad and obliviators to the scene of any mistakes over the next few years and the world would find out. That depended of course on her letting him know about her mistakes…

Her older brother Andrew was beside himself when they showed up. He was only in his early twenties and definitely not ready to raise an eight year old, but it was better by far than sending her to an orphanage. They just had to make do. A quick finite cured his color problem, and Harry gave a very vague description of what happened. He left out any mention of magical government, and reminded them that they could ask for help if they needed it. He privately assured Andrew that he had placed monitoring charms on the wand and would know if she did anything dangerous. This seemed to help.

* * *

Harry returned to the abyss and resumed his search for Voldemort's followers and Horcruxes. It was complicated because people were sleeping. If they were awake, Harry could sort through all the points of light and look for those that had no emotions at all. It would take a while, but it could be done. Finally, searching among the red points of light, Harry found one that was just too dim. Too calm, as if it were buried behind charms to make him ignore it. He took note of the general area it was hiding in, Tomorrow he would contact Gringotts and hire some help.

It was late in the evening before he returned to Hogwarts.

* * *

_To Whom It May Concern: _

_I am in need of a team of experienced curse breakers. I would like to hire the assistance of a six being team and prefer goblins for their discretion. I would however request that Bill Weasley be included in this team if he is not needed elsewhere. I have personal experience and trust in his abilities. _

_If a team is available for this weekend, I would like to meet with the leader and Bill Weasley Friday evening at _ _Hogwarts_ _School__ of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I understand that scheduling this at the last minute may cause some difficulties and require a priority service charge. _

_I am uncertain how long my project will take, but will listen to the advice of the goblin in charge. Please arrange to have any expenses itemized and send an invoice to Slipjaw in the Trust Management office with the bill. _

_Thank you for your time, my owl will await a reply. _

_Mr. SaDiablo _

* * *

"Hey Ron, Hermione you two wait up!" Harry called after breakfast. "You guys have a little while before your classes start right? I need to talk to you both."

"Is it important Harry? I've got a test next week and I need to study…" Hermione started.

"It's deadly important. I need both of you to help me with something. Lets go to the Room of Requirements to talk."

"Sure mate."

"Ok Harry.

The Room was set up like a planning room, maps and chalkboards on the walls with a few comfortable chairs around a boardroom table.

"Alright, here is the deal. As we know, the war is upon us. Voldemort and his Death Eaters have been killing and torturing while the light side does nothing. I've fought a bit when no one was looking, but I am going to be more open now. I don't need or want the two of you on the front lines fighting death eaters. That is my job. Your strong points are organizations, strategies, and making sure I don't get myself killed.

"I think I found another Horcrux and I am going to be making a run at it as soon as possible. I've hopefully got Bill and a team of goblins from Gringotts going to help me out. I'd like you both to be there to help. At the very least, you'll be good company, but more likely I am going to need people I trust and who can think things through beside me."

"Another Horcrux? Have you finally found out who R.A.B. was?" Hermione asked.

"Apparently R.A.B. was Regulus Apollo Black. Slytherins locket was hiding at Headquarters until Sirius tried to throw it out. He could tell it was full of Dark Magic but didn't know what it was. Mundungus Fletcher took it and sold it to Borgin and Burkes who was happy to have one of it's treasures back."

"So where is it now?"

"It has been destroyed."

"How? Where was it?"

"I am not sure really. Apparently things went thoroughly pear shaped and I wanted my memory wiped afterwards. All I have is a pensieve memory of me telling myself it was gone and some information about known Death Eaters. That's why I want you with me when I go after the next one. I don't want to need my memory erased again."

"Borgin and Burkes was destroyed a few nights ago. That might have something to do with it."

"Wait, how could we have missed that?" Ron asked.

"Oh they pushed it back to page twelve of Tuesday's Prophet. The place was completely leveled."

"Ok, that sounds like something I might have done and it would explain where those books came from. Did the owner survive?"

"Yes, Mr. Borgin was tried on Wednesday after veritaserum testimony of his crimes."

"No, wait it probably wasn't me then."

"He will get a life sentence in Azkaban IF he ever gets out of St. Mungo's; apparently he was maimed severely and will never walk again."

"Yep, definitely me."

Ron and Hermione imitated goldfish for a few moments.

"Moving on, are you guys still behind me on the Horcrux hunt? You don't have to, but I do value your advice."

"I thought you were Superman or something these days. Why do you still need us?" Ron was blunt, but to the point.

"Because Voldemort could kick my arse at chess. That's what chess is, a mock war. I may be the queen, flitting all over the board capturing bad guys and blowing up stores, but if I don't have a good strategy the war may be over before I get a chance to win.

"I have a lot of raw strength. I can duel almost anyone into submission. I can take a lot of hits and get back up. But if someone dies because I wasn't making the best move for the team, I can't bring them back! People are already dying, I've been enormously lucky it hasn't been anyone we know and love yet."

"Wow, I never thought of it that way."

"But you see what I mean. Last night I found Voldemort, Nagini too. As far as I could tell, they were alone. Should I have barged in and tried to use brute force to take them down? No, the best I could have done was to knock him out of his body again. We need to have a plan.

"Ron, you are the best chess player I know. Focus on making me a list of who I should look for first. Is he more dangerous with experienced death eaters in the field or the quiet moles in the ministry? I've got a long list of name I will eventually be finding and using brute force on, but I don't know the best order to find them in.

"Hermione, talk to Professors McGonagall and Moody. They lead the Order of the Phoenix now days. See if we can coordinate for intelligence on death eater movements.

"And both of you, above all, thank you for being my friends. Please stick with me even when I am a grouch. I need your help and I always have."

"If we were going to back out on you Harry, we would have done it a long time ago. We're too far in now, and there is no way out but through. Besides, we're your friends and we love you. We won't let you do this alone." Hermione spoke for both of them, visibly moved by his last words. "Now when are we meeting with the Goblins?"

"Tonight hopefully. Bill and the head curse breaker should show up after dinner. Tomorrow we going to examine the protections surrounding the hiding place and see what we can do."

"That's a good start Harry, but where is it hidden? Different terrains and locations will need different strategies." Ron supplied. "Also, I think no matter the location, you need to hit this hard and fast. Since you announced that you knew about the Horcruxes, Voldemort will have tightened security, and they will most likely be monitored somehow. If he catches you sniffing around he will move it immediately."

"Good point. It's in a muggle neighborhood. Kind of rundown area actually. The location itself is at the very least unplottable, I can't put it on a map but I know the general area. I haven't been in the area myself, just discovered it from afar."

"Do we have an operations budget?"

"Let's not spend more than one hundred thousand galleons."

"Wow, that's a lot more than I expected. It gives us room to work. I'll come up with some plans and get back to you later. Hermione, I need to talk with you about muggle stuff at some point, I don't really know what we can get away with as weird before we start breaking the Statute of Secrecy. Right now I need maps of where you think it is."

* * *

"Bill, just the man I needed to see. Come to my office and let's talk business."

"Certainly, Harry, this is Grimnar head of our team."

Harry switched on his translation spell "Greetings Grimnar, may your gold always flow. If you do not mind, may we use English in this meeting for Mr. Weasley's benefit?"

"Why start what you don't mean to continue?"

"I was taught it is most polite to address someone in their own language first. It avoids miscommunications and is more respectful. I do not know is Bill can speak Gobbledygook well enough for this meeting."

"Well certainly Mr. Potter, we will use English then. Though it is nice to see someone raised correctly."

He switched back to English, "Thank you. My planning room is just down this hall."

"By the way Harry, I do speak a little Gobbledygook, but I missed some of what you said. Where did you learn?"

"You know, funny you should ask. Fluer and Gabrielle asked something similar. So did that nice Egyptian man at your wedding. I didn't tell them either."

"Well I just can't figure it out. So far as I know there is no spell to translate between languages. Otherwise the world would be a lot less messed up. But you seem to have become perfectly fluent in at least five or six languages in the past year alone."

"Cracked the protections guarding that book yet?"

The conversation was interrupted by their arrival at the Room of Requirement. They entered to find Ron hard at work, making notes and moving small plastic army men across the maps.

"Ron! Don't steal from the muggle born first years!"

"I didn't I just thought I needed something to represent people and the room supplied me with a bag of these."

"Oh, well I need to meet with Bill and Grimnar in private so we can start discussing what they think we are going to need. I will fill you in on what we decide later for planning purposes."

"Ok, let me just gather up my notes then. I will see you later." Ron left.

"Alright gentlemen, here's the situation. I need to break through a set of protections surrounding an artifact. Bill, I know you've had experience in this area breaking into tombs, it what you guys do. The problem with this is that the wards and protections we are going to have to break through are probably being monitored closely."

"Are you trying to hire Goblins for a combat mission?" Grimnar asked disapprovingly.

"No, I am not. It is highly unlikely that there will be anyone present. The artifact is of such importance that the protections are only known to one person."

"What kind of artifact are we going after here? Who raised the protections?"

"We are going after what is called a Horcrux. It is an object in which is hiding a fragment of Voldemort's soul. So long as it exists Voldemort cannot truly die. It is partially through the help of this artifact that Voldemort was able to return from the dead after the Tournament. Because of the nature of the item, it is highly unlikely that any death eaters will be in the vicinity. Voldemort is hiding his soul, most likely he is the only one who knows where it is other than me right now."

"So Voldemort raised the wards and protections himself?" Bill asked.

"Almost certainly. What we need to remember from a tactical standpoint is that he is a master of violent magic, defense, and the darkest of the dark arts. It is less likely he is also a master of warding and trap making. Given what he was hiding, he would not have had assistance in raising the wards. This may work in our favor."

"Alright, what do you know of the wards?"

"I made a trip to investigate this afternoon. The location is both unplottable and under a Fidelius charm. It is likely Voldemort is the secret keeper, the whole place reeked of him. I can penetrate the Fidelius but I don't know what is behind it and am not stupid enough to run into what I can't see."

"Without a secret keeper, we're almost totally out of luck." Bill reminded him.

"You said almost… See, this is why I wanted you on the job Bill. Tell me what you've got."

"Well, having had time to examine a building under the Fidelius Charm, I've discovered a few key weaknesses. If we can locate the property, given teamwork and enough power, I think we can bring it down. The most secure part of the Fidelius is that it is supposed to be unfindable, so curse breakers won't be able to tear it down."

"Is He going to notice us breaking through his wards?"

"That's debatable. It really all depends on how they are layered. If the detection ward is inside the Fidelius, we can break the Fidelius without worry then examine the rest. If not, the breaking the detection ward will be hit or miss if one is present at all.

"Once the Fidelius is out of the way, there are really two ways to go about this, the quick and dirty way or the slow and easy way. The quick way involves finding the controlling runes and overloading them with raw power. The wards will shatter and fall. The down side is that it is extremely unsubtle and may produce a light show and a lot of noise. The slow way is one hundred percent safe. We slowly unravel the wards back to front. The downside to this is the time required."

"Grimnar, if we disregard power concerns for a minute will the six being team and Mr. Weasley be sufficient to break the wards the quick and dirty way before Voldemort notices the fireworks about his treasure house?"

"I can't say, we don't know what defenses he has erected. Given what you said about these being prepared by someone who doesn't specialize in warding and done alone… Maybe. But I don't see how you can disregard the power issues. Trying to overcharge something Voldemort himself put up is not a job for a small team."

"I've got a plan. A small team is essential to us going unnoticed and less people involved means less risk of our moves being exposed."

"Has this plan been tested?" Bill asked.

"It has worked with spectacular results twice in the past. I will however have to delay the start of our fieldwork while I collect and review some notes on it."

"Good, I needed time to organize my notes on the Fidelius charm and make some calculations too."

"We do need to move fast on this before Voldemort gets suspicious. Can we move forward next Saturday? Will everyone be ready?"

"I should be done then."

"Goblins are always ready. Just be sure your plan works, whatever it is. The Goblins are neutral in this war and have no wish to be assaulted by the Dark Lord's forces. We would win of course, but we really don't want to have to fight right now."

"Thank you for coming Gentlemen. May we meet again on Wednesday to set our final plans?"

"That sounds about right. See you then."

* * *

"Okay Ron, we've got a week to plan. We move on next Saturday. We have six goblins, your brother Bill, yourself, Hermione, and a big budget. I will not be a valid asset because while I will be there, I will be involved in something very draining. My brute strength is not an asset for repelling any death eaters unless everything goes completely to hell. If that happens… Let's just hope it doesn't."

"Ok, I'm going to need to talk with Hermione about this then. Six goblins out and about in the muggle world poses some strategic challenges. If we need your help enchanting things between now and then are you available?"

"Of course, but what would we need to enchant?"

"Something to give the goblins a glamour first off. Emergency portkeys incase everything does go to hell. A way to communicate, and I've got another idea, but I will need to talk to Hermione first."

"I think I've got communication taken care of, but let me get back to you on that. My plan still needs the fine points hammered out."

* * *

"Hermione, hypothetically speaking how much trouble would I get into if I gave an eight year old muggle born girl an untraceable and unmonitored wand and no magical instruction at all?"

"First of all, it scares me on a deep personal level you had to ask me that question. I don't think it is much at all. If she is muggle born, but a witch, she could technically buy a wand anyway. The problem with that idea is that a muggle born child would have no way of knowing where to buy on in the first place. Where you really run into trouble is what you said about untraceable and unmonitored. All wands belonging to underage persons have monitoring charms placed on them by the ministry. Underage persons as you well know; are not aloud to perform magic away from school. The magical schools do not begin teaching until age eleven. So long as she was not provided magical instruction, her magic would most likely be considered accidental and be excusable since she wasn't casting actual spells. Why do you want to know?"

"No reason. Just hypothetical curiosity."

"Harry James Potter, I know you. You don't have any curiosity. Get back here and tell me what you did!"

"Oh look, I'm late for class, gotta go!"


	28. Preparations

Disclaimer; This is a derivative work, not an original one. Further more, since there is a constant, known number of words involved, any attempts to further derive it will result in it disappearing. (I know, I know, bad engineer! Note to self; avoid calculus jokes.)

* * *

"So Ron, what progress are we making with our plotting?"

"Hey Harry, so far so good but we've got a couple snags. Hermione and I looked into the glamour problems while you were out doing whatever yesterday. We can't decide how we want to do it. As you know, glamours only last a short while without constant upkeep. The goblins won't be able to perform that upkeep and do their jobs too. What we would like is a way to bind the spell to an object, enchant it basically, and then no one will need to be distracted by keeping all the glamours."

"That sounds like a good idea, what are the problems with it?"

"First of all, whatever object is holding the glamour needs skin contact according to Hermione. This suggests jewelry, which we don't have, as the logical choice. There was some reason she told me that we couldn't enchant clothes, but to be honest I forgot."

"Chapter 3 in the charms text Ron, metal and stone hold enchantments well. Natural things, or things made from something once living, don't. Wands are the exception to the rule because of the magical focus. Okay, well I think I can solve that problem, but I need to talk to Hermione now. What's next on our list?"

"The emergency portkeys are going to be a problem. The knowledge behind those is ministry restricted. Hermione couldn't find the method in the Library. She thinks a trip to the Restricted section is in order but is hesitant to talk to McGonagall without having a solid reason for needing the information. Not that our reasons are bad, but we don't exactly want the world to know we are hunting Voldie's Horcruxes. It might tip our hand."

"Okay, I'll just have to take her to my library then. It's almost got as many books as the restricted section these days, and some of them are definitely not ministry approved."

"Challenge three is actually quite simple. Hermione found a way to set up a very temporary muggle repelling and notice-me-not ward. She says she is going to enchant and inscribe runes on six or seven stones. When the stones are put in the right places around our site, the charms will activate giving us four hours to work without being observed."

"Excellent. See, I would never have thought of this. I'd probably have gone off half cocked without an escape plan, let alone a set of notice-me-not charms in place. So how is work on the Target List coming?"

"That was easy, the hard part is going to be finding out where on the list everyone is. First priority is the Horcruxes. In case he comes for you before you go after him, we need him gone. Second priority is his intelligence assets. We don't need to ferret out each and every one of his spies, we need to get the men controlling them. Sorry, but Wormtail is not on this list, he is a sycophant and doesn't count. Men like Snape, Augustus Rookwood, and Antonin Dolohov are top targets. Not only are they powerful duelers and dangerous men, but they are all certified genius level intelligence. Third priority is split, one set is his top lieutenants, the men who control your rank and file death eaters. Most of the names you know from before are on this list, Inner Circle old and new. The other half sharing this priority are his suppliers. We need to cut his access to important supplies. Target his potion masters, spell crafters, and healers. If the rank and file cannot get healing or potions the morale is going to be shot to hell. The rest are not really a major worry, logistically."

"Great work Ron! I knew I could count on you."

"That's the order of importance. At any time though, ignore it for targets of opportunity. If you see a death eater, deal with him, don't hold back because you aren't supposed to find him until next Wednesday."

"I've got you. Thanks for all your hard work Ron. I'll got see Hermione about the portkeys and glamours."

* * *

Harry found Hermione in the library, immersed in charms and runes books, surrounded by notes. 

"Hermione, talk to me about our glamour problems."

"I assume you talked to Ron then?"

"Yes, come take a walk with me as we talk. I've got something to show you. It might help with some things. Then again it might not."

"Where are we going?" She asked as she gathered her notes into some form of order.

"My personal library. So tell me what you think the best option is for the glamours. Would a ring work?"

"A ring would work just fine, but the real problem is holding them up while we do other work. The power constraints on a full body glamour aren't much, but they just won't hold in an enchanted ring for more than an hour or so without outside help."

"Bill talked to me some about magical traps. He told me that some of them are designed to absorb ambient magic through something called a siphon rune then release the stored magic through the traps. It allowed the tomb builders to make traps that automatically reset themselves. Could something similar be used here?"

"In theory yes. We would only need a two or three part set of runes to power a glamour. I don't know the runes to do it, but I know where to look. That assumes that we can get ten rings and inscribe all the runes properly before next weekend however."

"Let me worry about that part. Which would be better, stone or metal for this. I know they are equally good when it comes to enchantment, but what would hold the runes better?"

"Stone will hold them best, but stone rings are a little difficult to find. Inscribing the runes would take more time as well."

"As you are about to see, neither of those are really a problem, We're here."

"Harry, this is a dead end."

"You think I would hide my library in plain sight? It's like a smaller copy of the Restricted section! Turn your head while I open my door." Huffing a little, she averted her eyes as he levitated wands into position and said the pass-phrase. "Alright, now the wall is like the one at 9 ¾ , follow me through."

She did and found herself in the foyer of his little prank. The sconces sprang to life and she had to admire the door before her. They entered the common area and he gave a brief run down of the charms behind it all.

"This whole suite of rooms took me eight days to carve from solid rock. Carving a few rings will not be a problem. It took me another month and a half to work all the charms and enchantments. The library is divided by subjects. Runes and warding are together, third shelf from the front on the left hand side. Magical travel and Anti-ministry manuals are in the small case at the back. They are together because almost all those books are how to get around the limitations the Ministry has placed on magical travel. You might find portkeys in there, you might not. I'm going to be in my workshop trying to solve our ring problem."

She let out a squeal of glee and ran off.

* * *

Crafting the rings was both easier and more troublesome than he thought. He started with the obsidian he had picked up on holiday and cut round bars from them. Another quick spell bored the centers out. Another pass cut the bars into individual rings. That is where he began to see problems. 

The square edges were downright uncomfortable and cut into his other fingers. He would have to round the edges and smooth everything, which meant he could only inscribe the runes on the inside surface. With the cutting wire spell he could do it, but it would be difficult.

He began spinning the rings like a lathe and shaving off all the sharp edges. Soon he had twenty black obsidian rings. He cast unbreakable charms on them and hauled out Bernard's book on jewelry making. After a bit of fiddling he managed to make them self sizing. It was a troublesome bit of magic, but nothing he couldn't handle. Hermione arrived to watch him cast it on the last few.

"I didn't know you were so accomplished." She said when he finished, looking around his workshop.

"Well any proper gentleman is also an artist in at least one way. I've decided that my art is stonework. It helps relax me. This whole suite by the way, is my final Charms project, what do you think?"

"Well done, it certainly demonstrates your versatility. Nothing in here is too advanced, but the charms work well together and I think it looks nice. Why did you make a set of secret rooms in Hogwarts anyway? And the library? You're about to leave."

"Well actually I am setting it up as a gift to the students of the future. I've got a devilish plan worked out, and if they can find the room, I trust them not to abuse it."

"Well I think it is nice that you would do that. Just remember, the NEWTS are more important than your final projects."

"And neither holds a candle to the War, I'm sorry. You are right however, the NEWTS are more important than the projects, but I want to pursue a Charms Mastery under Flitwick or else one in spell crafting so I need to let him see my skills."

"That sounds like a great plan. By the way, what is with that half finished glass sculpture of a House Elf?"

"That, is the Dobby Award. I'm going to make a joke this year at the leaving feast by presenting someone with it for 'working like a House Elf' all year long."

"Good, it will bring attention to how hard they all work for us."

"Did you ever talk to your grandparents?"

"Yes, they seem to agree with you that there is a difference between service and slavery. I still think we need to do more for them."

"Good, I agree. We should take better care of them and elevate their standards of living. I just don't think we should overthrow everything they have ever known. So tell me how the library visit worked out."

"You've got a very nice library, a lot of those books I haven't read before and some I didn't know still existed. I'm going to have to borrow some of them, or else hurt you and steal them if I can't borrow."

"Hey now, relax. You may borrow anything you want, these are all duplicates of what I have. If I had more than one copy, I stuck the second here to give to the school. Since Madam Pince doesn't know about this, she can't scold you for checking out too many. But back on topic, did you find what we needed?"

"Yes, sort of. It will actually take five runes to do the job safely; a siphon rune, a controlling rune, and the three power runes. They will allow the rings to either be powered by ambient magic or by connection to our magical cores. No conscious thought should be required. The portkey spell is hideously complex for all the incantation is simple. That will require you to get some practice."

"Okay, not a problem. Out of curiosity, can these siphon runes be set with a triggering rune and a detection rune?"

"Again, it's possible, but I don't know how to do it right off the bat. What are you trying to do, I might be able to help."

"Well, as you can see, I've got a few extra rings. What I want is to be able to enchant them with a powerful shield to be automatically activated if a spell is about to hit them. Or I could even try to set them up as portkeys to be triggered if any of the unforgivables were cast at them."

"I never thought of doing that. It is an interesting way to combine what we already know. I will need to research this some more. Making them only react to certain spells will make it more complex, but you seem to be able to work obscenely fast with stone, so it might just be a worthwhile endeavor."

"Alright, well good luck with that, I'll be sure to include your name when we patent the idea and make a lot of money."

"What?"

"Well, if it has potential, we both deserve credit. You are actually making it possible, finding the right runes and all. I am making it a reality with my ideas and spellwork. Oh, and we must include Ron too. Without him reminding me about needing an escape plan and suggesting emergency portkeys, I wouldn't have thought of it. Imagine the market for something that guarantees that you can't be targeted by the unforgivables. If there was a market for the Twins' Shield Cloaks, there is a market for this. It was a team effort after all."

"Thanks Harry."

"No problem. This is what muggle born students bring to the magical world. Innovation! You have fun in the library, I'm going to work on one last ring now."

"Why? We already have twenty here, that's double what we need."

"Well this one is for me. It will be my prototype for the shield and portkey. Plus it will be more decorative and take longer."

* * *

Harry called in the fist sized lump of greenstone he found. It was a nice deep forest green color and fairly dense. He carefully cut about an inch thick slice from the center. A few more passes and he had something resembling a signet ring. It had a wide flat top and sides, before tapering to a quarter inch band along the bottom. There would be plenty of room to carve whatever runes he needed. 

After a few moments deliberation, he decided he needed to design his own crest for the ring. This would be the "Evans" ring to accompany his muggle alter-ego. He would build a glamour for it and put as many protections on it as he could. He pulled an old tome out of his library just to look at the illuminated and stylized "E" at the beginning of one chapter and set to work drawing on parchment exactly how he wanted the face to look. A half hour later, he was satisfied with the look he wanted and his ability to reproduce it. The square face of his ring would bear a large "E" surrounded by vines.

He cast an engorgio charm and held it until the face he was about to carve was about a foot to a side. He took great care with his boring and cutting wires. On the newly enlarged surface he cut the E and vines so they were raised about one and a half inches from the "floor" of the face, bounded by a rim of stone. He set to work carving all the embellishments in the E to simulate the old style iconography. As a lark, the decided to carve "Property of Harry James Potter, Made 12 January 1998" into the side of the upper branch of the E. It would be far too small to read, but he would know it was there.

* * *

He was just finishing the details on the vines and leaves when he heard Hermione clear her throat. Looking up, he was surprised to see her sitting across from him. When had she entered the room? 

"Nice job, I can see what you meant about this being your art. I don't think I've ever seen you so focused and yet also relaxed. You really enjoy it don't you?"

"Yes, I do. It's like I can feel the potential right there beneath the surface of the stone, begging me to let it out."

"How do you carve the vines like that? I almost expect to feel a plant if I reach out and touch it."

"I just take away everything that isn't a vine. Sometimes things tell me what they are inside, other times I have to work my will on them. You should see what I am working on for Ginny's birthday."

"I'll look forward to it. Harry, you need to either tell me how to get out the front door or stop for the night."

"Why? We've only just got started, there's still plenty of time before curfew."

"Harry, curfew was two hours ago. You've been working on that ring for four hours straight, and we've been here six. Come on, it is midnight and we've got classes tomorrow morning."

"But, I just need a little more work and I will be ready for the runes."

"The runes won't be ready for you for several more days. It's time to take a break. You need sleep and food. It will still be there when you get back."

"But…"

"No, you're coming with me. I left the book that talks about portkeys on the table and marked the place. There is also a book that talks about some different techniques for untraceable apparition. Not that you seem to bother with that anymore."

"Thank you Hermione, I don't know what I would do without you."

"You'd probably go crazy without someone like me to keep you grounded. I hope you've got a way to get us back undetected, you never taught us how you become invisible."

"No worries, I've got it all covered."

He led her to the foyer where he showed her the cupboard with invisibility cloaks and silent boots. She did a couple of quick mental acrobatics and cast him an evil eye.

"You're one of the new Marauders aren't you?" She accused.

"Mr. Tundros at your service milady." He gave a cocky bow.

"So all this is really…"

"The Manor of Mischief, my gift to future generations of troublemakers and hooligans."

"I thought some of those books in the library looked out of place. Who would bother with illusions and slight of hand in a magical library?"

"Why over complicate things if you don't have to. Sure, anyone with enough experience can conjure and vanish objects, but who would expect a second or third year to do it wandless and silent? It will drive teachers batty. Instead it's all faked, no real magic involved. A rose pulled from thin air, a galleon vanishing, incredible disappearing familiars, muggle born students may recognize it for what it is, but the older pureblood teachers will rant and rave about 'unprecedented magical potential' and other such nonsense."

"You are a right bastard you know that?"

"I try."

"What's to stop me from ruining your plans by telling the other teachers?"

"Tell me Hermione, where exactly are we? How is the front door opened."

"Ok, I wasn't paying too much attention coming down but I think I know where we are. And though I didn't see what you did I heard the passwords."

"Relax Hermione, this is my charms project remember, and I already promised to bring McGonagall when I bring Flitwick. The professors are getting a guided tour in three weeks time. There won't be any problems with me corrupting young students at least until after the war. In the meantime it is just my workshop and library."

"If you say so. I still don't approve."

"I know. Come on, let's get back to the dorms."

He led her through several secret passages and intentionally ran in circles a few times to throw her off. She hadn't explored the castle nearly as much as he had and was soon lost.


	29. Attacking the Hidden Gems

Disclaimer; Rowling owns everything Harry Potter Related, Bishop owns the Realms and Blood. This story was inspired by the Harry Potter Sextet, The Black Jewels Trilogy, and The Invisible Ring.

* * *

The many bits and pieces came together slowly over the week. The portkey and shield rings were not perfected, but they were showing promise. Initial tests used the ring placed on a block of wood to check the portkey function. It worked, sort of. It was acceptable for two of the three unforgivables, but the killing curse kept giving them problems with the reaction time. Most often the curse would hit the block of wood, then the portkey would activate, delivering a dead piece of wood in the destination. That wasn't exactly what they wanted to do.

Bill was confident that he could bring it all down if Harry could find it. He had detailed notes on the Fidelius charm and Grimmauld place. The Goblins were confident in their skills, but less confident in their numbers. Harry had notes from himself, Jaenelle, and someone named Jared on what he was going to do, as well as a plethora of back up plans and escape plans. Ron had maps and plans, timetables and strategies. He had everything planned down to the minute, including where everyone would be.

Saturday morning arrived and everybody gathered out front of Gringotts to do a final check over. Harry passed out the glamour rings and explained their function. Bill thought it was a good idea and applauded Hermione for making them work. Soon everyone but Ron was dressed in perfectly pressed black suits, white shirts, and black ties. Hermione had a ID card over her breast that simply said "MI5". Ron had his ring but he said he would put it on when he needed it but he had a different plan. It was perhaps a bit odd to think of MI5 employing a group of midgets, but glamours could only correct so much.

They piled into a van Gringotts had secured the use of for the day, and Bill drove them to the proper neighborhood. They drove around the block and placed Hermione's corner stones for the muggle repelling charms. Harry had to direct Bill on where to park. They all got out and made last minute preparations. Hermione activated her charms. Ron passed out the emergency portkeys, and Harry pulled out a wooden frame with a silk web woven on it.

"Alright, my Queen prepared this one for us since webs are a bit out of my ken, so let's hope it works. I'm going to need all of you to donate some blood, just a drop or two. When this is done, everyone will be connected to Bill and I. Bill knows ward breaking and will help get everyone into the right places, while I will be giving you my power. Hermione, you and Ron are going to be connected directly to me, keep an eye out and alert me if anyone shows up. Bill, this is going to feel really weird. Line up, goblins first, then you two, then Bill." As each person gave a few drops of blood, Harry positioned them on the web where his notes said they needed to go and froze the droplets. When Bill's blood hit the web he grabbed his head and gasped.

"You're right, that does feel really weird. I can feel all of you in my head. Can you feel me?" A chorus of grunts and nods assured him he wasn't alone.

"Alright, everyone ready to feel something really weird?" Harry asked with a grin. He let his blood hit the center of the web, and the world dropped away for a moment. Everyone's glamour flickered and went out of focus before snapping into perfect clarity. Harry felt nine additional people with him in his head and assumed it must be working.

"Harry, what was that?"

"Imagine Hermione, that the web is like a pond. When you fell onto the web, there was a ripple. Like tossing pebbles into the pond. The more powerful you are, the bigger the ripple."

"What are you a freaking boulder?" Ron gaped.

"Close enough. Now lets get to work, we've got to overload Voldemort's defenses. What do you say Grimnar, will our energy levels be sufficient?"

Harry could feel the goblin reaching and trying to find the limits of the power he now had access to. "The next time there is a goblin revolution can we have you on our side?"

"Only if you pay well and ask politely." The other goblins grinned toothy smiles. "Alright, clear your minds and get ready to feel this. I'm going to show you what my senses are showing me about the property we're looking for."

They could all feel and almost see the domes of power covering something that was both right in front of them and yet still not.

"Yep, that's a pretty well hidden something." Bill said. "If it's the Fidelius we'll need people here, here, here, and here." He said laying a mental map and marking positions.

"You're doing surprisingly well with this Bill. I assume you know at least some occlumancy?"

"Yes, it's a common trick in Sumerian tombs to play with your opponents heads. If you can't rule your own mind you will never know which traps are real and which aren't. People spent years trying to disarm traps that never existed."

"Alright, lets wait a few minutes for Ron and Hermione to get into position. Hermione is going to be listening in on the WWN, police radios, and muggle broadcasts in case our fireworks attract attention. Ron, think you can give us a good aerial watch on visitors?"

"Well, there's a couple steam vents nearby, and the smoke stacks from that factory, so I bet there will be plenty of thermals nearby. Give me five minutes."

"You've got it. Bill, you might enjoy seeing what Ron's about to do. You dig other cultures and stuff right?"

"I assume he's going to fly though I didn't see any brooms and we are in a muggle area."

"Correct, see that bright red cloak covered in feathers he's putting on? It's got a glamour on it to make him look like a bird, and some very special enchantments to let him fly like one."

"Another something from your mysterious tutors and queen?"

"No, this one I found in the South Pacific. You should have been at the Burrow for Christmas."

"I was, but I stopped by earlier in the morning."

"Ok, he's up, let's get everyone else into position and get to work."

* * *

Things were proceeding smoothly. Once they got started it took nearly an hour and a half to break the Fidelius, and revealed a very comprehensive set of wards underneath. Some of them were downright deadly in their intent. They examined the ward scheme and then stopped for a late lunch. Another hour and a half in and they had disabled some of the nastier wards while Harry was beginning to feel the strain.

A buzzing in his pocket broke him from his careful concentration of distributing power evenly. He pulled out his mirror.

"Hello Rachel, what's going on?"

"Harry, Help! There's bad men in black destroying my house, they're hurting Andy. Please help!"

"I'll be right there, hide from them. I'll come for you I promise."

"Hurry!"

Harry put away his mirror and called in his black gauntlets. "Everyone stop working. I've got to go on a rescue mission. If I am still alive, we'll continue when I return."

Everyone felt the air temperature raise as heat practically boiled off of Harry. In their minds they felt the force of nature he had just become. A savage animal lurked just beneath the surface and was roaring to be let out. He disapperated with a crack and everyone began packing up their tools. Work was most likely over for the day, no matter what he said.

* * *

When Harry appeared on the street in front of Rachel and Andrew's home, he found death eaters laughing and dangling muggles upside down while they cursed them for fun. There were screams coming from Andrew's house. The beast slipped it's chain and Harry could not contain himself.

Two explosion hexes reduced the death eaters' legs outside to a greasy film on the asphalt. They were simply gone from the waist down. He caught the muggles as they fell, but stunned them so they could be found later. Letting loose a blast of power, he tore the door to splinters and entered the house.

The death eaters turned away from their victim and advanced towards Harry. Harry enveloped his hand in a bubble of craft and jammed it straight into the first one's chest. He grabbed his heart and yanked his hand back out. The flesh of his chest was unbroken, but he would not be living. Like passing through a wall, Harry had passed through his flesh and bone.

When the first one dropped, Harry opened his bloody hand and let the heart fall to the floor. The second death eater wisely decided this was the time to run. It's a pity he didn't decide that before Harry had arrived. A well placed cutting curse ended the man's flight as his head dropped to the floor. Harry pinged the house looking for more targets. One was upstairs, and not far from Rachel.

He ran up the stairs as fast as he could. The death eater heard him coming and shot a killing curse at the head of the stairs just as Harry reached the top. Harry saw green and instinctively tucked into a roll. He landed in a crouch but had dropped his wand. The death eater smirked as he walked forward. Harry breathed in deeply and forced his magic into his lungs. When he breathed out, a long fiery snake came out of his mouth and wrapped itself around the man. He fell screaming and tried to roll on the floor to put it out. Harry picked up his wand and fired a painful variant of the stunning curse at him and dragged him back downstairs. He levitated the two death eaters and two muggles from outside back inside where he could take care of them.

He was about to go find Rachel and take care of getting them all to St. Mungo's when he heard the tell tale crack of apparition outside. He grabbed his wand and stood in what was left of the doorway, blood dripping off one hand, and with the glamour of a perfectly pressed suit still active. To say he was an imposing figure was putting it lightly.

Fortunately all that he saw was a group of Aurors arriving too late.

"Excuse me sir, what has happened here?" The leader asked

"What happened was that you just arrived too late. Five death eaters were attacking this home for a bit of sport with the muggles. What they didn't know was that one of them was a muggle born witch who called me for help. Come collect the bodies, though I did save you a prisoner. We need to get the survivors to a healer so they can recover before you modify their memories." Harry moved away from the door.

"Just who are you to question our abilities?" One of the junior Aurors asked.

Harry turned off the glamour. "Just what finally attracted your attention gentlemen?"

"Well there has been minor amounts of magic coming from the area in the last week so we weren't too surprised to see more tonight. When three of our magic detectors exploded about five minutes ago, we decided it needed investigation." The leader explained.

"So you didn't even know there was a problem until I showed up. Well done, glad to see that the best the Ministry has to offer can keep an eye on the public. At least they're safe from me. No wait, I had already killed four and captured another before you got off your arses. So I guess that means that if you stay in a group of at least six you might be safe. Well done."

"I see two still breathing, though that one is turning blue."

"No, he's dead; his body just doesn't know it yet. That's his heart on the floor next to him."

"Jumping Jesus on a pogo-stick! How did that happen?"

"I ripped it out. He was torturing my friend's brother, who I still have to take to St. Mungo's." He picked up the unconscious brother and walked up the stairs to find Rachel. "Rachel, it's over. Grab one of your robes and your wand. We need to get your brother to a hospital and that means I am taking you with me."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I knew you'd come."

"I promised to help you. I am sorry I couldn't get here sooner. Get your stuff, we'll be leaving from right here. Downstairs is no place for you right now." He conjured a stretcher and set it levitating while he grabbed a sock. "Portus."

"Alright, I've got my favorite two robes and my wand. What now?"

"Good thinking bringing an extra. Just touch the sock on your brother's chest and we'll be going." She did so. He touched it with his wand and said, "Emergency."

The portkey whisked them off to St. Mungo's leaving behind a group of Aurors to deal with the mess and cleanup efforts.

* * *

At St. Mungo's they told the healers Andrew had suffered cruciartus exposure and broken bones before he was whisked away. Harry took Rachel up to the tea room to wait while he was being taken care of.

"Dobby, I need your help."

"What can Dobby do for Harry?"

"This is my friend Rachel. She and her brother were attacked tonight by dark wizards. They are going to need a place to stay while her brother recovers and they fix their home. I want you to clean a few rooms for them at Headquarters and stay there to help them while this all happens. Is that alright with you?"

"Yes Harry, Dobby will be doing. Do your guests need anything from their home?"

"Good thinking Dobby. Rachel has a change of clothing, but I would appreciate it if you could go to their home and collect clothing for both of them for a week. You should also bring some books for them to read. Rachel has robes but her brother wears muggle clothing." Harry wrote down their address.

"Dobby will take care of it."

"Thank you Dobby." He popped away.

Rachel looked at him. "What was that?"

"That was Dobby, he works for me and takes care of my house. He does chores and cooks for me when I am not at school."

"But he wasn't human."

"You're right, he is an elf. While we fix your home I'm going to let you live in mine. It will also give your brother a place to heal without worrying too much. Dobby can take care of everything while you are there. We'll get the hospital to send notes to your school and your brother's job so you won't get in trouble. Is that a good idea?"

She nodded, unable to take everything that had happened that day. He scooped her up into a hug and held her while she cried.

"I need to go tell my friends that they can stop working. Your brother won't be ready for you to visit him for a while yet. Would you rather come with me, or will you be alright here by yourself?"

"I don't want to be alone." She sniffled.

"Alright, we'll go tell them really quick and we'll be back to see your brother before he's out."

"Ok."

* * *

He apperated back to the worksite with Rachel still in his arms. Everything was packed in the vans and the group was sitting at a conjured table with their dinner.

"Harry, you're back! What happened?" Hermione hugged him, and Rachel by connection.

"I don't want to talk about it right now. We're done here for today. Let's set some temporary keep away charms and come back tomorrow."

"We already did that, we figured that you wouldn't be in the mood to work after whatever happened. You scared a few of us the way you left." Bill said.

"I'm sorry you had to feel that I didn't have time to break the link safely and every second counted."

"It's alright. At least now we know and can help you if you need it. So who is our new friend?" He pointed to Rachel who had buried her face in his shoulder and was ignoring the group. She looked up when he asked about her.

"I'm Rachel, Harry saved me and my brother from the Bad Men."

"I guess that says it all. Don't blame me for her robes, she chose them."

"Yeah, they're my favorite!" She was wearing her purple and silver robes.

"My magic works better when I wear these ones. I don't know why, but I put it in my journal." She told Harry.

"Really? That's odd. Well you'll have to experiment with that more. Since you're going to be out of school helping your brother get better this week you'll have plenty of time to practice."

"Harry, is this the little girl you were curious about?" Hermione asked with a dangerous glint in her eye.

"Maybe. But she's been teaching herself, I didn't do anything."

Bill decided to head off an argument he could see about to form. "So Rachel, would a pretty little witch like you like to show us what you've learned?"

"Ok mister. Oh, I don't have my hat, this might not work."

"It works better if you have your hat?"

"Yeah, just like it works better in these robes and not the red ones."

"Here you go then." Harry conjured her another hat like the last one. "Maybe the hat needs to match your robes. This hat would clash horribly with red robes. Remind me to get you some that match."

"That might be it." She said with surety only an eight year old can manage. "Ok, now here's my trick. '_Sunshine and Daisies, not cloudy and rainy, let the springtime come.'_"

A small patch of snow melted and a flower grew out of the formerly frozen ground. It glowed and sparkled for a minute before she plucked it and tucked it behind her ear. The goblins were clapping, while Hermione's mouth opened and closed with no sound coming out.

"Great job, I bet Hermione never discovered that spell, and she's studied hundreds of books." Ron was grinning while he looked at his best friend.

"How did you do that?" She asked.

"Magic!" Rachel's grin was infectious.

"You can't ask an eight year old to explain magic Hermione." Bill chipped in as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hmm I wonder, if I did that spell would I get more than one flower?" Harry looked to Rachel.

"You can't do it, you're a boy! That's a girl spell."

"You might be right. I'll try it later anyway. I've done girly spells before. I made your robes didn't I? Isn't making pretty clothes a girl spell?"

"I can't do it so it must be a boy spell."

"It's good to see Harry finally found someone his own age to talk to." Ron nudged Hermione and whispered.

"Alright, Rachel and I need to get back to St. Mungo's to look in on her brother. We'll meet back at Gringotts at half ten tomorrow?" Everyone nodded and began to pack everything away in the van. Harry deactivated the linking web and put a strong shield around it before vanishing it back with his luggage.


	30. Returning to the Scene of the Crime

Disclaimer; As a derivative work, a simple double integration will yield two completely different stories. I highly recommend that one integrates first with respect to Rowling, before integrating for Bishop. It's much simpler that way. The final integration constant would be my own work (aka, plot, a new character or three, etc…).

* * *

Harry woke up on a couch in St. Mungo's with Rachel looking down at him. He had a crick in his neck that distinctly told him that it was the wrong place to sleep, but he wouldn't abandon them over a little discomfort.

"Good, you woke up."

"It was bound to happen eventually."

"Come on, Andrew's awake and the nurse taught me a new spell."

"Ok, tell me about the spell while we walk to his room."

"The nurse said it lets her know when he is getting better. She moved her wand like this and said 'statia vita.' Then a bunch of colored bars and numbers popped up. She told me that red numbers were bad, yellow needed to be fixed but green was good."

"I'm surprised she taught you that spell, I've been in the hospital lots of times and they never taught it to me."

"Well she didn't exactly teach me. She did it and wrote on her clipboard so I asked what she was doing. She did it again and showed me the numbers. I paid attention to the words and how she moved her hand. When she left Andrew let me practice on him until I got the numbers again."

"You're a very smart girl. So was it this room or the next one?"

"It's this one." They entered the room to find Andrew sitting upright against his pillows and enjoying breakfast.

"Harry! There you are. Rachel's been chatting my ear off that you were around. Look, I really need to thank you for coming to our rescue yesterday."

"No need. When Rachel and I met last time I promised her I would help if she needed it, and you both definitely needed it yesterday afternoon."

"Most people wouldn't go into a fight outnumbered five to one. What was that all about?"

"Maybe most people wouldn't but my word is sacred to me. I keep it or die trying. As to what the attackers were doing… that's a bit more complicated. The simple answer is that they were part of a group of wizard terrorists. Imagine the IRA with magic powers. Wizards have lived in secret for so long that we are scared of being exposed to normal society. We are afraid that society wouldn't accept us for our differences. This group creates terror by torture and murders both of magical and non-magical peoples. The non-magical attacks like last night threaten to expose the society as a whole and stretch our resources by forcing us to cover it up."

"How can something like people's deaths just be covered up?"

"No magic can bring back the dead, but we can create more plausible excuses as to how they died or were injured. For instance, after I stopped the attack last night the magical police eventually did show up. They've already sent a letter to your workplace and Rachel's school saying that you were in a car accident yesterday and will be out while you recover. We can also… encourage people to remember things happening the way we said they did, almost like a hypnotic suggestion. Since your sister is a witch, you will not be receiving one of these suggestions. You know and will continue to know what really happened. Some of your neighbors might not really remember when they leave the hospital."

"After you stopped the attack? What happened?"

"Well, I am a soldier on the front line against these terrorists. The police help when they can, but… They only responded last night after the attackers were either dead or incapacitated. They'll send a magical reversal squad to your home later in the week to repair all the damage and erase any evidence we were ever there."

"Dead?"

"Of the five attacking your home, only one survived. Please don't ask more. I didn't let Rachel see anything of the scene and I really would prefer not to explain it to you. I want you to be able to go home and pretend it never happened."

"The other, what will happen to him?"

"He is currently undergoing interrogation to gather information, but eventually he will be sent to prison for a very long time. Most likely he will receive a life sentence. But rest assured, he will have nightmares about your home for the rest of his life."

"I really don't want to know, do I?"

"No, you don't."

"How can you be so calm about this? You can't be more than eighteen. You're younger than me but here you are trying to help both of us. Thank you. I know you said you were just keeping your word, but thank you anyway."

"I'm seventeen actually. I'm trying to help you two because there were so many I couldn't help. I've been fighting this fight my whole life. The leader of this group, the ones at your house yesterday, killed my parents sixteen years ago and I've been number one on his list ever since. Maybe later you can ask the nurses about Harry Potter. Just don't buy into the stories."

"I take it you wind up in the hospital often then?"

"Not in this one, there is one where they've always got a bed reserved for me though. That's not why the nurses know my name. Some people seem to think I'm a hero. The rest are convinced I am a criminal or insane."

"You'll always be my hero Harry!" Rachel hugged his waist.

"Just try not to be a damsel in distress anymore. I'd be happy to help you fix a spell or show you some magic, but I not really a knight in shining armor."

"The doctors said I would be able to leave later today but would be sore for a few more days. They said something about fixing nerve damage and broken ribs."

"Yeah, that's about right. I've experienced that and worse before. You'll be feeling that pain and stiffness for a few more days, but if you take the medicines they give you on time you won't notice too much and you won't have any scars. Like I said earlier, you're house won't be repaired for a few more days knowing the government. If you'll accept, I'd like to offer you a place to stay at my home in London. With me at school, there's plenty of room and we'll take care of everything you need. It's the least I can do."

"You've already done so much, why would you feel guilty enough to say it's the least you could do?"

"Well not all the damage to your home was caused by the terrorists. At the very least I owe you a new door."

"I seem to remember my door exploding just before I passed out." He noted dryly.

"Have I mentioned I really hate terrorists?"

* * *

"Alright everybody, thanks for showing up on time. Hopefully we'll have a death eater free day and be able to get this job wrapped up. Everyone still has their glamour rings? Good." Harry didn't have time to shower and barely got changed before he needed to meet up with everyone to start breaking the wards again. He cast a few cleaning spells and figured it would have to do.

Everyone piled back into the van and headed for the worksite. As the others monitored the area or set everything back up, Harry pulled out the web and set to work repairing it. He reconnected the thread he had severed and let his blood drop onto the right spot, bringing the link back to full strength. The others staggered for a moment.

"Oh, I guess I should have given you a little warning."

"That thing isn't permanent is it? You're not going to be able to just turn it on whenever are you?" Ron looked a little uneasy.

"No, when this job is over I will destroy the web. Without the web and your blood, I can't use it. Don't worry Ron, I won't suddenly be in your head while you are out having your secret love affair with Hermione."

Ron blushed "How do you know about that? We've been keeping it quiet."

"Ron, all of Gryffindor has known since third year it was bound to happen. After what happened last year, it's not exactly a secret. Besides, yesterday I could feel you both in my head stealing looks at each other."

"Good, not that I don't like feeling powerful, but it's very weird Harry."

"When is anything about me ever normal?"

Bill and the goblins set to work bringing down the next layer of protections. This one was designed to simply stun and bind any who crossed it. With a few more hours work, the wards were down and the crew stopped for another late lunch.

"Hmm… The West London Children's Home, this is definitely the right place."

"It's just a run down muggle orphanage. Why would Voldemort hide a piece of his soul here?" Bill asked.

"This was Voldemort's home until he graduated Hogwarts. He may not have liked it, but it was all the home he had. Like me and the Dursley's really. It fits his pattern."

"What pattern have you established?"

"One he left with the Malfoy family, his most loyal servants. One he hid in the house of his wizard relatives who refused to acknowledge him. One he hid in the seaside cave where he first discovered his magical powers. One is always with him, his familiar. He is hiding them in places significant to how he became what he is. This orphanage is where his journey into becoming a sociopath started. I wouldn't be surprised to find the last one in Hogwarts actually."

"Where could he hide a piece of unspeakable dark magic in Hogwarts? It's full of nosey kids poking into every secret they can find."

"Where could he hide a sixty foot basilisk? Ron, remind me to give the Chamber of secrets a thorough going over would you? It's a little obvious, but it can't hurt to check."

"Only you would call the Chamber of Secrets too obvious." Ron snorted.

"Well the diary that possessed Ginny was a horcrux already tied to Hogwarts and the Chamber. It's unlikely he covered that area twice."

"Alright Mr. All-seeing-eye, where do we start looking?"

"We? Oh heavens no, that place is probably full of traps. I'll go get it. Besides, now that the wards and Fidelius is down, I can home in on it without a problem."

"If it's full of traps, why not send Bill in?"

"Bill will end up having to disarm the traps. I plan to just walk right through them. If I can shield against the Killing Curse, I should be fine. I'll need my magic back though." He took the web off its frame and rolled it all into a ball before throwing it into the air and incinerating it with a flick of fire from his mouth. The rest of them gaped at him breathing fire.

"Dibs!" Grimnar called, "You are most definitely on our side come the next rebellion."

"Harry, when did you become an elemental?" Hermione pestered him to spill what she perceived as a secret.

"I'm not an elemental, that's just a trick the Samoan quidditch team taught me right before we got banned from ever visiting Wellington without an escort."

"Something tells me I want to hear this story," Bill prodded.

"Not much to tell. There was a quidditch match, there was an insane player, I bought the team a few rounds at the pub… Next thing I remember the Aurors are talking about prison terms in the Antarctic and we're all good friends. I paid to rebuild the bar, and the Samoan government asked politely to let us go so long as we promised not to cause trouble."

"One of these days you're going to tell me the full story." Ron threatened.

"You'll have to come to the World Cup with me this summer then. The guys all made me promise to come. Between their influence and Krum's, I managed to snag a couple tickets sitting with the players. Krum hopes to be playing of course, but Mils and the rest of Manu Samoa think Bulgaria will flop out after facing Croatia in the quarter finals."

"That sounds nice and all Harry, but aren't you forgetting something?" Hermione pointed out.

"Oh right, I'm supposed to be thwarting Voldemort. You guys might want to pack up then. I'm willing to bet that when those traps spring Voldemort is going to be one unhappy camper. The last one had all kinds of inferi and stuff." Harry stood and began casting all the protective spells and shields he knew. After he had them up he started with craft. Sound, sight, psychic, and physical shields all snapped into place and he walked in the air a few inches off the ground.

Those waiting outside heard a few muffled bangs and whooshing sounds as Harry moved through the orphanage. A few minutes later a smoking Harry walked back out the front door. He held a pair of reading glasses in his hand.

"Leave it to an orphan. I guess Tom Riddle and I weren't so different after all." Harry said with a slight grin.

"Why do you say that?" Hermione asked, never taking her eyes off the glasses.

"He hid these under a loose floorboard in his former room. Just like I used to do with my valuables. It looks like we've found the reading glasses of Rowena Ravenclaw."

"Harry those are much to valuable to just destroy. Surely there is some other way to get rid of the horcrux? Their historical value is enormous."

"I don't know of any, but I know where to start looking. When I think of manipulating souls and magic, there is only one person that comes to my mind, The High Lord of Hell. I'll go tomorrow afternoon and hopefully be back in time for classes on Tuesday afternoon."

"I want to thank you all for your help. Especially our friends from Gringotts. Grimnar, please include a healthy gratuity when you send me the bill, and I want you all to keep the glamour rings as a gift. Maybe they will be useful on future excursions into the muggle world."

* * *

Later that evening, Rachel called him on the mirror again to let him know they were ready to leave the Hospital. He made a portkey to Grimmauld place and apperated over.

"Harry!" Rachel bounded over to him as he entered. "Did you really fight a dragon? And can you take me to see the mermaids? Please?"

"I see you asked around about me. How are you feeling Andrew?"

"I'm doing much better. These pain potions are incredible, and they tell me there is not a risk of addiction. Rachel asked the nurses about you and apparently they have books about you in the children's ward."

"Uh-huh! And the pictures were moving and everything!"

"I was afraid of this. Well at least you met the ones who think I am a hero and not the ones who think I am crazy. I am a bit famous here. They made a few fairy tales out of my life, but it was a lot less fun to live those parts let me tell you."

"That sounds like an understatement. When Rachel told the nurse you were the one to rescue us, there was a reporter for some newspaper here not long after. They asked some odd questions too."

"I can only imagine. If you want I can try to squash that story before it gets out. I'm sorry you got hassled."

"Oh it's no problem. Rachel is kind of excited about the idea of her name being in the newspaper to be honest."

"I'll be sure to send you a copy then. So long as it isn't too upsetting. Sometimes the papers get a little carried away. So, are you ready to get out of here?"

"Sure thing. Wizard hospitals may be better than our hospitals but…"

"But it is still a hospital. Believe me I understand. When we get to my home, we'll get you settled into a room with a little better paint scheme. If either of you need anything, just call for Dobby and he will be sure to take care of everything. He's very enthusiastic. You are free to explore the back yard, but don't leave through the front door. There are spells on the house to keep it hidden and if you walk out the door you won't be able to find your way back in."

He produced the portkey for them and showed them the important rooms of the house. Rachel was excited at the idea of the small library of magic books, but Harry only gave her the first and second year books he set aside for her. The rest had already been moved. He introduced them to Dobby and promised to check in every once in a while to make sure everything was alright.

* * *

**Young Witch Summons Harry Potter with Mysterious Mirror Magic. **

**By Selvie Smith, staff writer for the Quibbler **

_Harry Potter rushed off to the rescue once again this weekend, but his stimulus came from a very unusual source. A young muggle born witch by the name of Rachel Pembrook said she summoned Mr. Potter to her home with her magic mirror after her house was attacked by Death Eaters. _

_"I knew he would come to save me. I yelled in my mirror for him to rescue me and then he came. He beat up all the evil men and saved me and my brother." She said. When asked about her mirror she claimed she could use it to talk to Mr. Potter and that he could find her with it. Evidence suggests it to be true. _

_The Aurors who responded to the disturbance Saturday evening reported no sign of any normal magical transport, and no sign of any of the standard alarm wards on the property. So far as they could tell, there was no indication that Mr. Potter could have known about the attack unless he was told. Aurors are currently unaware how he arrived at the scene. _

_While some seers use mirrors to scry on distant places or focus their inner eye, this is the first reported instance of one using one to travel or send messages. There are some charms that can use a reflective surface to send messages but aurors reported no charmed objects in the house nor evidence of such spells having been cast there. There has been a great deal of unknown magical energy released in the area over the past week, and there is now some speculation about its purpose. _

_The picture below shows young Ms. Pembrook with a picture book about her hero at St. Mungo's Hospital on Sunday. Ms. Pembrook certainly appears to have developed the eccentric clothing tastes some seers are known for. _

* * *

Harry clipped the article and chuckled to himself. What could you really expect from the Quibbler? They were more than happy to believe in new and unknown magic. He briefly wondered why the Quibbler did this piece, but he supposed his polite requests to the Prophet meant a bit more now that he owned it.

He folded up the article with a short note, and sent it flying with Hedwig. He had to wonder what questions they had asked if that was their only quote. Given the Quibbler's reputation they must have been interesting indeed.


	31. Boom!

Disclaimer; I shouldn't have to say this anymore but I don't own Harry Potter or the Black Jewels crew, they are products of far more creative minds than mine.

AN; I'm now using a G5 as my trusty (or not) PC died on me, my formatting will suck for a while before I get everything fixed. MS Word is useful for some things I guess... I am really sorry about the month since I last updated this story. I cold quote the most common fanfic authors' excuses (final/exams, sickness, moving, writers block, computer troubles, etc...) and they'd all be true (July was busy for me), but in reality I think I just have ADD. I got distracted by the shiny new story (At the Hands of the Other, read it if you haven't) and didn't update my first baby... Ok, technically my first baby would be Hands of Justice but I haven't even daydreamed that story in months (I worked out how it would end and then lost incentive to write it down...).

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A portkey dropped Harry at the base of Mount Everest in Nepal. One day he would return and see how the Runs differed here on Earth than in the Realms. but for now he had a mission. He looked up at what in any other world would be the Keep and grinned. Somewhere up the mountain there should be a Dark Altar he could use without worrying about outside interference from picky governments. Isolated as it was it could be ideal for his travels. He cast a bubble head charm, grabbed a Opal wind and soared towards the peak.

Standing at the Summit of Mount Everest was a real experience and he saw why people bragged about it. He'd come back with a camera later, ought to be good for a few pub stories. Closing his eyes, he opened his mind and expanded his magical senses looking for the Altar. He found it about three quarters of the way up the mountain and went to investigate. His senses lead him to a small cave whose entrance had long been covered in ice. He considered blasting and melting his way through but then decided to just use craft to pass himself through so as not to reveal the entrance. The ice was just short of two meters thick before he got to the open cavern that lead to the Altar. Deciding to take his possessiveness a step further, he carved the boundary marker runes for a Fidelius charm around the entrance and cast the spell. Now only he knew where it was... 

He walked to the back of the cave and called in his ritual implements to open the Gate.

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When Harry arrived in Kaleer he immediately went to Beales the butler. "Would you please inform the High Lord that Prince Potter seeks an audience? I will await an answer in the drawing room." 

The butler returned quickly and gestured Harry to follow him to Sataen's public study. Sataen was waiting for him and rose when he came through the door. "Harry, good to see you again. Is there a reason you mysteriously showed up and started acting formally?" 

"Well sir, I need some help from you in an official capacity so I thought it best to ask properly." 

"Nonsense. You're family now. What's on your mind?" 

"Do you remember what I told you about Tom Riddle and the Horcruxes?" Seeing the High Lord nod, he continued. "Well we've already destroyed three and I've found a fourth. The problem is that it was a rather significant object in it's own right before becoming a container for a soul fragment." 

"So you came to me hoping to save the artifact and force the spirit to move on, I see the problem." 

"Manipulating the Soul with the most evil of magic is a bit out of our normal curriculum at school. I was hoping your millenia of knowledge concerning death and spirits might help." 

"I'll give it a shot, what do you know about how they are made?" 

"Just that the item to be used is prepared in advance through some evil rituals, then after committing murder a piece of the soul is ripped from the body and placed within. A second spell is used to seal the soul inside and prevent it from passing on."

"Theoretically then we only need to undo the last spell to unseal the container and then deal with the soul. Let me see it and I'll work on it."

Harry called in the glasses, "These once belonged to one of the most well known witches in the world. She helped found our school and paved the way for modern education as a whole. As odd as it may seem the majority of us would like to see them intact when I am done with them. I could have destroyed it like the last one but like I said, they're valuable to some people."

"Hmm, you're right. This is a very perverted bit of magic. I haven't felt anything this tainted by death and corruption since the destruction of Terrielle fifteen years ago."

They set a few wards and spells on the room to keep the magic and possible spirit contained while they examined the glasses. After enlarging them to a more manageable size, they carefully studied the energy patterns and layers of spell work.It was made difficult by the fact that the glasses had numerous charms and spells on them prior to becoming a horcrux. They wanted to preserve those original charms if they could.

"Hmm... Look here Harry, there seems to be a gathering of magical energies right here. If we were to flood it with power like so..." A few sparks rose from the glasses, "We will apparently accomplish nothing."

"No, not nothing. Look now the focus has moved over here." He pushed a bit more magic at the changed focal point and was rewarded with more sparks. "And now it moves over there..." As the High Lord pushed a bit, the glasses suddenly exploded and took a chunk of the table with them.

"Oops?"

"Hermione and McGonagall are going to kill me. Well lets make sure we are at least one fewer soul than we began with."

The pair did a few quick scans and confirmed they had succeeded in destroying the Horcrux and not just turning it into several smaller ones. Mentally Harry cringed as he anticipated the reaction when he told everyone else that he had to mark a Founder's artifact off as a cost of war. The wizarding world seemed to revere them for some reason.

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Harry was out hunting. He walked down Kockturn Alley towards one of the safe houses Borgin had identified for him. He didn't know what he should really expect, but he was hoping to put a damper on some of the activities. It was unlikely anyone would be in the safe rooms right now, the death eaters had been quiet lately probably in anticipation of a major project. Aside from the attack at Rachel's home, there were two other minor raids but nothing major since the winter holidays. The attack at Rachel's home was also the first real test of Harry's wizard's oath. The other two raids, while regrettable, he had no knowledge of until after the fact. With Rachel calling for help he would have had to fight if it were Voldemort himself, even if it ruined his plans. He swore to protect the innocent and he had as well as he was able.

He stopped his musings as he approached the first hidy-hole. He became invisible and silent before he entered the front door. The man behind the counter had rudimentary mental shields and Harry was forced to use brute force to break them since he was never trained for subtlety. The mental powers of the Blood weren't quite occlumancy and legilmancy, but they worked in similar ways. A legilmans could have been in and out of this man's mind unnoticed. Harry was as subtle as a wrecking ball and half as polite as the man fell to the floor clutching his head. After taking a glance into his head Harry regretted the necessity of leaving him alive. He obliviated the knowledge that his mind was searched and left him to rise to his feet with a killer headache

The back room was empty of scumbags but Harry couldn't count on it staying that way. Someone would need this safe haven and he was going to make sure it was most unsafe. The room was filthy and covered in cobwebs, but therefore secret and reasonably safe. There was barely room to stand upright and a tiny cot took up most of the floor space. Harry wove a detection ward across the only door into the room and set it to trigger six bursts of his Black strength. There were three places it would fire from just to be sure that no matter where the person was when they came through the door, they would be hit. Each point would fire twice in less than a second. The first would eliminate any shields the victim might have up, and probably kill them. The second was to be what some called, "a security shot," just to be absolutely certain the target was dead (and if already dead, smeared all over the walls). If a large man, for instance Fenrir Greyback, were to completely fill the doorway the results would be nothing short of spectacular. Harry charged his new weapon and slipped out the door. His next target for the night was a group safe house, which Borgin said could comfortably hide fifteen. The shop proclaimed itself to be "Dexter's Foci; crafters of wands since 1612" but the tiny front room and small workshop gave lie to that since it was a three story building of decent size. Harry circled the building and laid a shielding ward but left it without a trigger and uncharged. The book of basic web weaving and Craft wards Lucy gave him at Winsol was getting a workout tonight. To any Warlord with a Jewel, these traps would be child's play and easily defeated. To a wand using wizard, it was alien magic. Harry climbed the secret stairs Borgin had told him about and gave the password to the door at the top. He found himself in a rather nice flat with a variety of supplies including a box of emergency portkeys labeled with their destinations. Some had "fun" sounding code names and one was even marked "Spinner's End Safe Room", others just led to various dark alleys and semi public places. Harry decided to pocket these treasures, especially the one that might lead him to Snape. He laid another detection ward, but this one was tailored to the purpose of the room. It wouldn't activate until there were at least three people in the room for a full two minutes. This was to allow time for their "friends" to enter as well. When that happened the doors and windows would become Black locked and trigger the traps. The room already had anti-apparition wards, as well as a portkey ward he assumed excluded the box of emergency portkeys he had stolen. He added twelve different firing points to shoot two blasts each, and started on his trickiest bit of magic for the night. He had read about a trap called a Witch Storm, which used the caster's power to mimic the effects of a deadly lightning storm while draining the victim's strength to increase the area the storm covered. Initially it would just cover the room, but if the room were full at the time it might grow large enough to cover Knockturn Alley, striking anyone who bore a Dark Mark with deadly power. It was the most complex ward in Lucy's book, relying not just on a stronger caster than victim, but also a recognition web. He was setting the recognition web to attack anyone who shared something in common with everyone in the room. If the group trapped in the room was large enough to spread the storm into the alley. it was most likely the only thing they would have in common for the web to pick up on would be the Dark Mark, support for Voldemort, or hatred for muggles. After the people targeted by the storm were dead, he could do many things with any remaining power it had stored. He could leave the storm raging until enough people passed under it to drain it's power, but that would be very dangerous as any powerful victims would only feed the storm to longer durations. Harry decided that when everyone in the initial building were dead it should release the energy as if it were a bomb, to destroy the structure itself. He tied the activation of his wards so that the intrusion wards would spring the energy blasts first and if still active (in other words if people were still alive) to trigger the shield ward outside and then the Witch Storm. He set about charging his wards. The blasters and locks were simple and barely touched his strength but he poured a lot of energy into the Witch Storm and the Shield around the building itself.

He set up similar traps and explosions in each of the other places set aside for Death Eater use. When they needed it most, he wanted there to be no where for them to run. He tried to vary his traps to the best of his abilities. Some simply exploded, some used a blaster set up. Three locked the doors and activated Serpensortia spells and a recording of Harry asking all the snakes to attack anyone inside. The Serpensortia spells should summon forty Black Mamba snakes. Two more used similar locked rooms and a Witch Storm. One involved perfectly sealing the room and banishing all the air once it was occupied. Sadistic? Yes it was, but it would also be very effective. All over England rooms and flats became death traps without anyone being the wiser. He confiscated any portkeys he found for later abuse and harrassment. Now there was just one more trap to set...

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Harry looked over his set-up. Completely muggle except for one notification charm, given the placement of that charm the whole rig should be completely undetectable unless you already knew it was there. Harry had gone to "borrow" an SAS specialist later in the week. The kidnapped soldier was "encouraged" to build him the most clever of his traps. Harry only violated the laws a bit, the compulsion charms he used, while strong and illegal were not the Imperious. Under orders from Harry the SAS demolitions expert carefully laid the stolen C-4 he had acquired with the grenades into a long piece of angle iron. The explosives were pressed against both sides of the V shaped bar such that all the force of the explosives would blast into what is called a cutting charge. The expert assured him that this device could cut through a foot of reinforced concrete as he laid cherry veneer over the outer edges. He rigged up a temperature sensor that would blow the charge when it registered more than thirty degrees centigrade.  
Harry and the soldier carefully placed the sensor and attached the device in it's final resting place. When it detonated, the notification charm (which was in the dead center of the charge) would make a small ping sound in Harry's head letting him know to come verify the kill. The soldier was obliviated and returned to his barracks to wake up from the sleeping spells Harry cast on him.

Two days later, Severus Snape entered his private chambers in Spinner's End and prepared for bed. He lay down on his cherry wood bed and fell asleep. A few minutes later, the temperature sensor hidden just beneath the surface of his mattress warmed up with his body heat and an electric current flowed from two carefully hidden batteries into two blasting caps at either end of the cutting charge that had been attached to the underside of his bed across the line where his neck would be if he laid his head on the pillow. The charge blew up exactly as advertised and a few minutes later Harry arrived to find a line of gore on the ceiling and a beheaded Snape on the broken bed. His body was promptly delivered to the Ministry with the Dark Mark on display.

Harry was quite impressed with the precision and decided to reward his unwitting helper. He cast a slight forgetfulness charm on the enchanted pistol he had acquired and left it in a wrapped package on his bunk. His friends noticed that he never seemed to change the magazine in that gun, but chalked it up that it had to be done when they weren't paying attention. Honestly, he just forgot he was supposed to and since he never ran out of bullets in his silenced gun, it didn't seem odd at all. It ended up saving his life, and the lives of his friends on more than one occasion. It eventually became a family heirloom with a legendary history of never jamming or running out of ammunition at just the wrong time. They called it luck and it was two hundred years before a wizard was born into the family who recognised the truth.

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The Black Dog pub was quiet tonight. The patrons enjoyed their drinks and jeered at the football match on the telly, but nobody started any trouble. When the stranger walked in the front door nobody paid him any mind. Later they would all have trouble recalling his face or even the color of his hair, but for now they were content to ignore him. He walked to a shadowed corner and sat down in a booth next to an elderly gentleman.

"Are you Amorillo Rosier sir?" The newcomer asked.

"So what if I am?" The elder gentleman shot back.

"Just checking, Avada Kedavra." A flash of green light lit up the corner for a brief instant. Harry grabbed the old man as he slumped over the table. He slung the old man's arm over his shoulder and silently put an animation spell on his feet. "I've got to get this bloke home, why didn't you cut him off an hour ago?" Harry asked the barkeep, but didn't stop for an answer as he and the dead Death Eater staggered from the muggle pub into the night.

After staggering into an alley Harry apperated him to the Ministry where he dropped him in what he was jokingly calling the "night deposit box" for scumbags. He pulled out his wand, "Point me Augustus Rookwood." His wand spun in his hand and refused to point to the clever Death Eater. "Point me Joseph Travers." gave him a direction and Harry set off to avenge the murder of the McKinnon family.

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Rachel and Andrew were delighted to relax at Grimmauld Place and speak with the House Elves. Rachel wandered the house endlessly searching for something new to do. When Andrew reported that he was no longer in any pain, and Rachel determined that all of his numbers were green (though she didn't really know what they all meant), they called Harry on his mirror and he arranged for them to be returned to their home. Their house had been repaired and all evidence of the Death Eaters completely erased. If they hadn't known better, they would never have guessed that a gruesome skirmish had taken place. All traces of blood were gone, the furniture and doors repaired, and scorch marks from spells painted over.

They quickly got back into their usual routines of work and school. Rachel would occasionally have a small nightmare, but the knowledge that someone was out there somewhere who would rescue her helped. She and Harry often talked in the evenings now, on magic and many other subjects. When he told her about them, she begged him to buy her a training broom so she could fly around her back yard. He resisted on the grounds that flying in a muggle neighborhood was a bad idea, but privately wished he could get away with it.

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Lunch in the Great Hall was disrupted by evil cackling from, of all places, the Gryffindor table. Harry's friends stared at him as he waved his hands over a small rock covered in runes.

"Harry, what are you doing now?" Hermione asked him.

"Umm... Nothing?" Harry tried to put an innocent face on.

"Not a chance, spill it."

"Hold on a few minutes and let me charge this stone first." He called in his Red jewels and started pumping raw magic into the stone. "That should do it, now to set the portkey..." He called in one of the emergency portkeys he had stolen and set it on the table. He placed the stone on top of it and quickly moved his finger from the stone before shouting the activation phrase.

The entire Gryffindor table disappeared, dropping food and drinks all over the floor. Angry shouts rang out as people got some on their clothes. "Oops, I'm sorry guys, that wasn't supposed to happen!" Harry yelled.

"Mr. Potter, my office, now!" The headmistress told him.

"I'll pay for it!"

"My office!"

"Yes ma'am..."

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"Now, would you care to explain what was so funny before your table mysteriously disappeared, or perhaps where the table is now?" McGonagall asked Harry as soon as they arrived in her office.

"Not really." He said.

"What do you mean, not really?"

"You asked if I would care to explain. I don't particularly feel like it."

"Let's try again. Why did the table disappear?"

"Ok then, the table disappeared because a specially modified portkey whisked it away. I wasn't thinking properly and placed the portkey directly on the table instead on a plate or something else. When the portkey activated, it took the table with it."

"Very well, would you please go retrieve the Gryffindor table?"

"Not on your life!" Harry exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"There are three reasons I would much rather pay for a replacement. Firstly, I don't know where it went. Secondly I don't know if it is still intact. Thirdly I don't particularly feel like it is my time to die just yet."

"Ok, you're going to have to explain what you were doing with the portkey since it is obvious that removing the table was not your intention."

"Well, I meant to send old Snake Face a gift. I had stolen a portkey that was marked to lead to somewhere Death Eaters should check in after an attack. So I set up my gift and set it on the portkey before activating it quickly."

"So that would be the cause of the evil cackling?"

"Yep. I set up a special blend of magic in a small stone. First I carved detection, charging and spell storing runes in my rock. When it gets within five feet of a wizard or witch it should cast a shattering spell on the rock."

"So you planned to pelt a death eater with pebbles? That is hardly justification for losing a table."

"I wasn't done yet, then I set another set of spells so that when the rock breaks it will release a huge amount of magical energy like a bomb. Hopefully the one I just sent should level the building trapping or killing anyone inside. Once I charged the runes, I had to get rid of it quick before the shattering spell was triggered. I set a delay on it just to be safe."

"So you're saying you lost a table that has served in the great hall for hundreds of years and endangered the lives of countless schoolmates to send a letter bomb to the Dark Lord?" McGonagall asked in a tight voice, her lips a line so thin as to be almost invisible.

"Oh! Letter bombs!" Harry pulled out a quill and parchment. "I could put the same spells on a parchment triggered for whenever someone takes them out of the envelope..."

"Mr Potter, this is not something you should be doing in the school! Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Gryffindor House in particular do not approve of terrorist tactics and sneak attacks. I understand that you are out numbered and under trained, but that is no excuse to expose the rest of the students to such behavior! In the future if you are going to use such tactics and methods for your little Guerilla war please keep them away from impressionable minds."

"Yes ma'am." Harry said meekly.

"Now that the reprimand in out of the way, twenty five points to Gryffindor for planning ahead and not rushing into a situation blindly. Twenty five points for creative spellwork. Minus fifty points for losing your table. And a detention with Professor Flitwick for bypassing Hogwarts Wards with an illegal portkey. You will write an essay on how the wards were circumvented and how to prevent it in the future."

"Thank you Professor, it won't happen again. I'll talk to a master carpenter to commission a new table. Does it have to be an exact match to the others?"

"If it doesn't you will have to replace the others too. Who were you going to consult to replace it?"

"I've got a carpenter that I've used for a few other projects in the past. He made a nice door for me. Speaking of which, would you and Professor Flitwick care to inspect my final Charms project next Tuesday after dinner? Everything should be finished then, though I'll have to arrange for another one of those illegal portkeys."

"Curiouser and curiouser... I seem to recall you swearing to me that you didn't leave Hogwarts when working on the project, and now you are saying you will need to make a portkey. Well at the very least mastery of the portkey charm will earn you some points in Flitwick's books."

"I just hope I am not expelled." Harry muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing..." The angellic look returned but she wasn't fooled.

"Harry, is the plan proceeding well?" a voice called from one of the shelves.

"Of course Allistair, the book is written and properly enchanted. If it is alright with you, I'll do the final spell later this week so everything is covered." Harry told the Sorting Hat.

"Uh-oh, the both of you are in on it. Next you'll tell me that Hogwarts herself is deserting me to help Mr. Potter on his nefarious deeds." McGonagall had an amused smile on her face.

"You have no idea. Harry's a genius and we, the non-human residents of Hogwarts, are all for this plan of his. It will certainly make life more interesting. Hogwarts is very amused but neutral on it though. She isn't going to help either side, though she does help certain students more often than they deserve." The Sorting Hat assured the Headmistress.

"Oi! Most of the time, I'm the one saving Her, not the other way around." Harry said.

"And how many times have you avoided detention because the staircases shifted at just the right time to help you avoid your pursuers?" Harry was silent under the glare of the Headmistress, "That's what I thought. Hogwarts said to tell you to make sure the new tables are pretty."

"I thought I promised to replace the Gryffindor table as it was." Harry said sullenly.

"And Hogwarts thinks you need to be punished beyond points and a detention. You don't want the Castle you live in mad a you do you? Make sure you get pretty tables."

"Alright, you win. I'll find some nice tables. May I go now?" Seeing his two opponents nod Harry left the room.

As soon as he was out the door, McGonagall laughed heartily, "I've never seen anyone really win against him. Sometimes you can convince him that you are right, but nobody wins against him when he decides he's firm on something."

"You just didn't have enough leverage, or weren't using what you had. Hogwarts could make his life here very uncomfortable if she wanted. Between the House Elves who run everything, or the paintings who watch everything, and me who knows some of his most troublesome secrets, things could get interesting if he didn't keep us happy."

"How did you get to be holding his secrets?"

"Well some of them he asked me to, and others I found in his mind whenever he put me on his head. He's put me on his head and talked to me more than anyone in centuries. I could even spoil some of his secret plans for the future, but for now I won't."

"Why not? You won't help the Headmistress against her students?"

"Are you admitting you can't run the school without looking into student's minds? That's not the way we play the game now is it?"


	32. Matters of Family Honor

Disclaimer; Some days it just isn't worth chewing through the straps. If anyone knows of a job doing materials testing and analysis in west central florida, let me know. I am getting desperate.

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Harry approached the home with some care. He didn't know for certain who was home, only that they were of above average strength and alone. He felt a little scummy with this attack against the Dark Lord, but one way or another he needed to accomplish his mission. The target today was a small upper middle class home in a wizarding neighborhood, and hopefully the key to taking out one of Voldemort's top lieutenants.

Harry knocked on the door politely and waited for an answer. A kind looking old lady opened the door. "Good morning ma'am. Are you Madam Rookwood?"

"Yes, that would be me. What can I do for you lad?" She asked.

"Well if it's not too much trouble, could you tell me if you are the mother of Augustus Rookwood?"

"Oh, it's about my no good son again is it? Look, I've told you aurors a hundred times, I don't know where to find him, nor would I help you if I could."

"That is excellent Madam, I'd hate to see a mother turn on her own son like that. However it is not your son I am after today. Stupefy."

With a startled look, the elderly lady dropped to the floor. Harry picked her up and walked into the home. Pictures on the mantle clearly showed that Augustus was an only son, and surprisingly that Madam Rookwood was a muggle born. After a brief bit of searching he found a few letters from the Death Eater on a desk in her work room. A revealing spell showed a charm on her envelopes that would allow them to pass through his mail wards. He grabbed her supply and decided he had wasted enough time in case her house was being watched. He scooped his hostage off of the chair he dropped her in and apperated away.

Ooooooo

_Augustus Rookwood,  
Hello dirt ball. I know that you are a Death Eater. I know that you have evaded capture many times, and have access to spell and techniques I have only dreamed of. I know that you have almost forty years of experience I lack. I know that looking for you is pointless because you are probably the most secure man in _ _Britain__. Fortunately for me, I also know something you do not._

_I know where your mother is._

_Now from the letters I found in your mother's house, I know you love her very much so you need to do exactly as this letter says or she will die. You see, I want to test my skills. Let's see what the best of the Dark Lord's forces can do. How about a senior Unspeakable…_

_For the moment, your mother is safe, she has food and shelter, though she finds my company particularly obnoxious. She will remain safe until I receive your answer or until one week has passed from when I send this letter. What I want you to do is to arrange for the two of us to fight this out like men. Pick a place, pick a time, set some terms, and tell me where. We can do this as fair or unfair as you like and I promise no harm will come to your mother. If you want an anything goes fight where you can cheat or fight dirty, say so. If you want a formal duel for the sake of family honor (this is what I would insist on, it's pretty insulting to resort to kidnapping someone who isn't even involved), let me know that too._

_I expect your owl within seven days or your mother will take a very long time to die. I am feeling creative lately and am in need of a new target dummy so I hope you choose to ignore me or refuse my terms._

_On my honor as a wizard  
Harry James Potter_

Ooooooo

The letter also included two different cross-linked time release spells to trigger the letter like a bomb. If one was deactivated the other would trip automatically resulting in a blast  
of magical energy that should at the very least blow his hands off. The time delay spells were set to go off after a minute and a half or if the paper were torn. The time delay spells were a very nice touch he was glad he had learned. The same spells were used to do anything from turn off an oven when food was cooked, or activate another spell, or sound an audible alarm. He used them to do things that his explosive spells would use as their triggers, an obscenely easy work around, and a useful bit of magic.

After a few truth potions revealed that the apple did not fall far from the tree, Madam Rookwood's treatment declined at a very unhealthy pace. She supported Voldemort's goals though she disagreed with the whole blood purity shtick he used to gather support from the wealthy. If Harry hadn't expected him to demand proof she was still alive, he probably would have killed her anyway.

Oooooo

Tuesday Harry met McGonagall and Flitwick outside the Charms Classroom with a length of rope for a portkey. Flitwick made note that the portkey was of an obsolete variety no longer used, but gave him credit for knowing the portkey charm anyway. Harry tapped the rope with his wand and said the magic phrase "Gullible fools" before they were whisked away to the hall in front of the Manor of Mischief's front door.

"May I present to you Professors, my charms project, The Manor of Mischief. If you examine the wall behind you, you will find one way permeability charms with a pass phrase and keyed locking spell to keep out the uninvited. Ahead of us is the start of our tour. This is a suite of rooms that was carved from the rock beneath Hogwarts completely with magic and featuring a wide variety of other charms to enhance not only the décor and comfort of the rooms but enhance their functionality as well. There are four bedrooms decorated around four different themes and using different spells. The bathroom is plumbed magically and the fireplace is connected to the kitchen's exhaust but not the floo network. The Library and work shop have been magically expanded beyond their actual size and enchanted to help you find whatever you were looking for. The entire suite has self cleaning spells to keep it looking nice and maintain air temperature and humidity in the different rooms. Finally the entire suite is under the Fidelius charm so I am sorry Headmistress but troublemakers of the future will have a safe haven." Harry gave them a brief tour of the rooms and opened himself up for their questions.

"This is excellent work Harry, excellent indeed. May I ask you to supply me with a complete list of spells and enchantments you have used here?" Flitwick asked as he left the fire themed bedroom.

"Of course Professor, I kept a diary as I worked so that students in the future would know how to fix anything that broke. I even included references with where I found any spells that were not on your syllabus. I've made you a copy as well." Harry summoned a leather bound book from the library. "I hope that will be enough to help."

"Mr. Potter, can you give me a good reason not to expel you for demolishing and creating new additions to the Castle?" Professor McGonagall gave no indication of her mood as she left the library.

"Because Hogwarts finds it funny and thought it would be a good idea? Besides I promise to remove the dangerous books from that library when I leave."

"I insist that you write down the secret of it's location so that the Headmasters and Headmistresses of the future can monitor these rooms. It was very irresponsible of you to make these rooms, let alone hide them this way."

"Sorry but it's out of my hands now. I am not the secret keeper. To learn the secret you have to find a book in the Library that I have written and follow the instructions exactly before you will be told how to enter these rooms. I'll give you more of a hint than anyone else gets and tell you to look in the survival section."

"And just what type of instructions are these?" She gave him a glare.

"How to become inducted as a Marauder of course, since only Marauders will be told the secret. Unfortunately the book cannot be taken from the library for more than twenty four hours, and part of the instructions include swearing a magical oath not to take anything from the room unless you intend to return it and certain rules on conduct within the suite. Hogwarts likes laughter and happy people within her halls and has given a home to those who will bring that back. You are welcome to become one to keep tabs on everybody but Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat, and I worked hard to make sure my work won't be abused."

"I am not happy Mr. Potter, not at all. This was irresponsible, unsanctioned, and against at least four school rules, yet for some reason I am not going to expel you. I should of course, but I do not wish to anger Hogwarts any more than you and you seem to be in her good book at the moment."

"Thank you Professor. If it is any consolation, these rooms have been essential to the war effort. It is not only a restful retreat from the bustle of Hogwarts life, but also a place where I can tinker with dangerous magic and make plans without being disturbed."

"Potter, I make a lot of concessions for the sake of the war, I have given you unprecedented freedom. You are really pushing the limits of what I am willing to accept from a student. I accept your pranks and jokes because they are harmless and do not result in the humiliation of anyone. I accept your disappearances and illicit comings and goings because somehow the number of Death Eater attacks has actually decreased since October. I am even willing to accept that you teach unusual magics in your study sessions that have the potential to be used in a questionable manner. But now you are making a direct ploy to destabilize life in the school for years to come. There are allowances in the rules for the Head Boy to undertake a community service project within the school, or descendants of the Founders to leave something behind as a legacy. For the moment I am going to pretend that these rules apply because I am certain that if I looked deep enough they don't."

"So I should be grateful that you are a forgiving and loving Headmistress and not Umbridge?" He cracked a grin.

"No, you should be grateful I promised Professor Dumbledore to help you beat the Dark Lord. If this set of rooms keeps you under my nose and not out wandering Britain, I will accept it as a reasonable cost. Besides, since it is under fidelius, we have at most seven years before the secret keeper graduates and after this year you will not be around to advertise your little insurrection. In ten years age and responsibility will have made all of this a memory. I think the school can weather a few jokes and tricks until then." She gave a superior sniff.

Harry wisely decided to shut his mouth before he got in more trouble. He tottered off to explain a few points to Flitwick as they enjoyed the air room. The diminutive Professor did not particularly like the room since he was rather terrified of heights, but he did enjoy the idea of the inverted sky light enchantment on the floor. He said it really completed the theme but recommended that anti gravity mist like he had encountered in the Tri-Wizard maze might have been a good finishing touch. Harry didn't know that spell but agreed it would be kind of cool.

When they were done exploring the small space, Harry led them to the outer pass-wall before he got a sudden brainwave. "Alright now if you both will step right over here. That's it, now please take my hands." Harry took their hands in his and dragged them all along the ward line that passed through the space, and jumped between the various wards until they crossed the Wind that lead to McGonagall's office. In the blink of an eye, Harry flipped back to the real world and let go of their hands before disappearing again on his next jaunt.

"That… was different. Why do I get the feeling he did not want us to know even the general vicinity of those rooms?" Flitwick was happy; secrets, intrigue, a gifted charms student, and a new form of magical transport, his day was complete.

"Because if there is anything this school year has taught me it is that what Harry doesn't say is far more important that what he does. On September first Mr. Potter sat in that very chair and swore on his magic he didn't know where the "manor" was, and that he only knew of one other animagus in this school. He swore that he was not an unregistered animagus, but told me that with only one exception all of the marauders had an animal form. The signs were there but I did not put two and two together. He probably is other animagus but a registered one, and he didn't know where it was because he hadn't built it yet." McGonagall pulled her flask out and poured herself and the Charms Professor two fingers of scotch.

"So what do you think he didn't say this time?" he asked her.

"I can't put my finger on it, but I doubt his little plan is as simple as he makes it out to be. I think when he told us how to get the secret, he was not only challenging us but taunting us too. I wouldn't be surprised if he expects us to go after it."

"Are you going to?"

"I haven't decided yet." She drained her glass. "I'm tempted but I don't want to give the brat the satisfaction."

Ooooooo

"Professor Slughorn, may I ask a favor?" Harry was in the dungeons minutes later. The portly potions professor was hunched over a cauldron and raised a hand to stall his conversation.

"Sorry about that Harry. This potion was at a critical stage." He said a few moments later. "Now what is it that you need my good man? Do you have any more new potions to make us both rich beyond avarice? "

"Not today sir. I was wondering if you still keep that cauldron of Felix Felicias around to show your NEWT sixth years."

"Of course, as tricky as that potion is it is easier to keep the one cauldron on hand than to dump it and brew another one every year. I assume you were hoping to borrow some?" The stout man opened the door to his office and ushered him inside before pouring them both a glass of mead.

"Well it was more along the lines of I was hoping to convince you to give me some or to sell me some, but yes. I am having a great deal of trouble finding Voldemort's last Horcrux and was hoping that a little Deus Ex Machina might put me on the right path."

"Well I don't have any Deus Ex Machina, if you wanted that you needed to tell me months ago. Felix we have, but God in a Bottle takes time. If your potion continues to age well and you make sure everything is correct when you add it, you might be able to pay it back. I would give it even odds that your batch of Felix might be usable. I'd put it at one in four for anyone else in the class."

"I didn't know there was a potion by that name. Deus Ex Machina is a muggle term for an extremely lucky or forced turn of events. I thought a little luck could force things forward. So where do you put the odds of me convincing you?"

"That depends really, what do you think the odds are that I can convince you that I deserve fifty percent of the profits on the last concoction for our set of House themed beverages?" Slughorn held up a flask of the potion he had been working on when Harry had entered.

"It's finished?" Harry asked. "What attribute of Slytherin did you replicate?"

"You'll never believe it, I might have found a way to give people Parseltongue. In a freak lab accident the other day I was splashed with a sore throat potion containing moonstone, raven's tongue, and boomslang skin which shouldn't have been in the mix and resulted in the explosion. When I was soaked in it, I heard one of the snakes in the tank over there mocking the "silly humans". The ability faded as soon as I clean off, but it gave me a place to start. I haven't found a way to make a normal potion yet, it seems to need some raw magic within the potion to work, meaning it is alchemical and not a potion. When I realized this, I isolated the active parts and brewed a batch for you to test. At worst it won't be poisonous, but at best you should be able to understand snakes and maybe even speak back."

"Wow, now I see why you are a master. You turned a lab accident into the breakthrough of the century. I'm sorry but I won't be able to do the testing on this one. I am already a parselmouth so I wouldn't notice the change." Harry was floored, parseltongue in a bottle would make them both famous and wealthy all over again.

"The research into these potions that you and I have been doing together allowed me to make that breakthrough. I would not normally have thought of alchemy as the solution to a potions accident. So fifty percent of Serpent's Tongue profits for a few doses of Felix?"

"You've sold me on this one professor! We'll split this one fifty-fifty. You might try a dose of Felix yourself, problems seem to disappear when you mix it in." Harry shook his Professor's hand to seal the deal.

"How do you think I came up with the idea to blend it into your base? It also happens that I thought it would be a good idea to bottle up two doses around the same time. Here you go. I know you'll have a magical day." Slughorn handed Harry two small vials, one of which he popped open and downed.

"Great to see you again Professor, but I think it's time I left. I want to go have a drink in a pub. Better make that a muggle pub, you know how I hate the recognition." Harry was smiling and riding on that buzz that told he could do no wrong as he left the office.

Ooooo

Harry walked into a small pub on the outskirts of Glasgow not long after. He looked around the pub which was just beginning to fill up for the night. Acting on that impulse he didn't understand he picked the last seat at the end of the bar with his back to a booth. He was feeling adventurous and decided to try something new. When the bartender came back around he and another man were waiting to place their orders.

"I'll have a Silver Birch Tequila, actually make it a double." Harry told the bartender.

"I'll have three of the same." The man next to him said, his accent said he was an American but Harry couldn't place where exactly.

Harry reached into his pocket for some money. As he flipped through his bills looking for a fiver, a galleon slipped from the folds and fell to the floor. He handed the money to the bartender and bent to pick up the coin.

"Mind if I see that? I don't think I've seen one of those before." The stranger looked at it as he was putting it back in his pocket.

Harry normally never would have but Felix gave him a nudge and who was he to argue? "I don't see why not. It's something of a good luck charm for me, real gold too."

"Hmm… St. George and the Dragon on one side, an ugly man on the other, I don't recognize it." He handed it back to Harry. Their drinks arrived. "Thanks for showing me, maybe we'll talk later."

Harry sat enjoying his drink which had a unique flavor for a while. He was nursing a pint of stout when he heard something from the booth behind him that caught his ear. The man from earlier was talking to one of his two friends.

"I'm telling you Al, the diary of Sir Godric of the Gryffin was onboard the Grindewald when she left Germany in '45. The Grindewald floated into Bristol a ghost ship with everyone on board dead. When the Brits saw the bodies dead with no cause, they assumed it was a new type of gas and towed her back to sea. A friend of mine swore to me that a man using the code name of "White Bumblebee" sank it in what he called Loch Dhu. If we can find this "Loch Dhu," which obviously isn't the proper name for it, we will find the ship, the diary, and by extension Godric's gold."

"And I'm telling you Dirk, I agree with Clive on this one. Assuming the ship isn't a myth, and assuming it is somehow at the bottom of some inland Loch, there is no way the diary is still intact. Besides this one isn't being backed by the Admiral, we don't have a million dollars of taxpayers money to troll every lake in the District. We're happy to help you on your treasure hunt but you need to have a little more to go on before dragging us halfway around the world."

Harry felt it was time for him to join the conversation. Harry raised four fingers to the barkeep and received four more tequila doubles on a tray. When he walked up to the table, he pulled a move from one of the drinking games the twins taught him and bounced a galleon off the table top into the first man's, Dirk's, beer.

"If you're looking for Sir Godric the Golden Gryffin, tonight is your lucky night." Harry placed the drinks on the table. "His only daughter married into my family near on a thousand years ago. I studied under the White Bumblebee before his death, and finally I have a great view of the Black Lake from my bedroom window. I'm surprised to hear that a ship called the Grindewald and my ancestor's diary may still be around though. My name is Harry."

"I'm Dirk, this is Al and Clive." The indicated people were pointed out and hands were shaken. "Al and I are divers and underwater specialists, Clive is a former mining engineer who switched to structural before he retired. We're here looking for one more adventure before we settle down for good."

"Well adventure is what you'll find if you keep looking, but in my experience adventure means somebody somewhere is in deep shite. I am… an independent contractor for the British government working on a certain terrorist group." Harry followed the impulses when explaining his job. "If the Grindewald is intact somewhere, I would strongly advise that you not go looking for it. If Godric's Gold is what you are looking for…" Harry used a bit of slight of hand to flick three galleons in between the fingers of his left hand, before bouncing them one by one into the tequila glasses. "Cheers Mates, I hope you enjoy Scotland."

Harry knocked back his drink and gave a wave over his shoulder as he left the pub.

"That was easy." Clive said. "Usually when I get mixed up in your adventures someone tries to shoot me or blow up my boat."

"I know, I am almost disappointed." Dirk looked a little put out.

"Shut up you. I was convinced this was going to end up like that Trojan thing with us all naked and strapped to an altar while some nutjob who thinks she is a witch kills us. I am glad to have it easy for once." Al examined his share of the booty with a discerning eye.

"Oh well, at least he didn't realize he gave me two." Dirk said as he fished the first out of his pint.

oooooo

A/N; No it isn't another crossover, thats all we'll see of those three. There will not be any navy seals coming to the rescue of fair damsels or shooting any Dark Lords. If you want that read my other stories. Sorry to disappoint but call it a cameo.


	33. Wetwork

Disclaimer, This story is a derivative of Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy, and J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series. I do not own or intend to make any money from these stories.

A/N; Torture and Rape in this chapter, this is your forewarning.

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By breakfast the next morning the twelve hours of luck had worn off and the guiding nudges were diminishing. Harry was sitting at the temporary round tables the house elves had set up, a map of the area and a few books on the table around him. What had seemed last night to be a simple proposition quickly became a nightmare. He thought it would be so simple as he pulled "Undersea Adventures for Nautical Neophytes" from the library, swim down into the Black Lake, find a sunken German Destroyer, and locate the Horcrux. Instead he discovered that his earlier adventure in the lake had been pure luck.

If he had not used gilly weed in his fourth year he might have ended up killing himself accidentally. The gilly weed gave him gills to breath through, but if he had used a bubble head charm the nearly thirty minutes he had spent so far down would have caused air to dissolve in his blood like gas in a soft drink. The sudden ascent he had made would have been like shaking the bottle and popping the top, his blood would boil and his lungs burst.

The book did not give him a solid amount of time it was safe to stay down the nearly two hundred feet to the bottom of the lake, it only advised against "extended adventures without taking precautions." But what precautions was he supposed to take? One would think a book for beginners would have included a bit more practical information.

Another sticking point was that he was still in the first days of February and there was still enough ice floating in the Loch to cause problems and the water was unlikely to be welcoming. As he mulled these thoughts over, Hermione joined him with a glass of juice.

"What has you working so hard this morning Harry?" She flipped through his papers. "Something to do with the Lake?"

"No, I took some good luck potion last night and met some people who told me something which put me on the trail to the next Horcrux."

"Really? So what does that have to do with the lake?"

"Apparently there was a ship named the "Grindewald" after the wizard. In the spring of 1945 it left Germany with a Founder's Artifact onboard. It drifted into Bristol half sunk with a dead crew." Harry explained, "I think Voldemort killed the crew and tried to sink the ship to protect his new Horcrux. It fits his patterns because the first Death Eaters came from Grindewald's Knights of Walpurgis. According to the story someone called the White Bumblebee, who I assume is Albus Dumbledore, removed the ship from Bristol and sank it in Loch Dhu. Albus is from latin for White, Dumbledore is middle English for Bumblebee, and Loch Dhu means " Black Lake" and I am certain I have heard people refer to Hogwarts Lake that way."

"Hmm… well we've got all the usual suspects, mysterious deaths, a founders' artifact, dark wizards, and Dumbledore. I guess it is a possibility, but then how did the cup end up in Hesipah Smith's possession if it were already a horcrux?"

"The cup? No, I am after Godric's Journal. Everything fits, and Felix Felicias led me right to it."

"Harry no offense, but you are an idiot." All the tenseness left Hermione's form as she relaxed. "First of all you shouldn't rely on luck, or especially luck potions to get you through this. Secondly you know Voldemort took several years after his graduation that summer to gather his Death Eaters from Grindewald's knights."

"But everything was perfect…"

"Harry, do you know how large a destroyer is? The most common German vessel in that class was over one hundred twenty meters long and displaced several thousand tons. The lake is large enough but if it was down there, you would have at least noticed it when you did the Second Task. Do you mean to tell me you somehow did not see a great bleeding chunk of metal four hundred feet long and nearly seventy five feet high? If that ship exists it isn't in our lake. I think some sloshed veterans might have gotten the better of you with an old war story."

"But the Felix…" Harry insisted.

Hermione reached over and slapped him gently. "Six Horcruxes and Voldemort, six not seven! Count with me now. Diary, Ring, Locket, Glasses, Cup, Nagini, and Riddle. That's his seven part soul for ultimate power. I am not saying you were completely wrong about the Grindewald connection, the Knights of Walpurgis, or even Godric's journal ending up in Germany during the war. I just want to remind you that you already know what to look for just not where."

00000

A few days later, Harry received his reply from Rookwood. Augustus was understandably pissed that Harry would kidnap his mother just to get to him, and even more upset that Harry was cocky enough to challenge him in the first place. The place and time were set, and Rookwood called for a formal duel to settle the matter of honor, with McNair as his second.

That night Harry was flying in his owl form invisibly above the duel site, looking for anything he could use to his advantage. Rookwood and McNair were standing together just outside a large circle drawn in chalk, waiting for him to arrive. Harry's aerial reconnaissance did not reveal any others in the vicinity, so he swooped low over the Death Eaters and dropped two marbles from his talons.

MacNair actually spotted them and tried to dive out of the way as they were about to hit the ground. The first to hit exploded into a sticky glue like substance that quickly hardened, trapping Rookwood and gluing McNair's left boot to the ground. The second hit just a split second later and shot out well over a hundred red bolts of energy, instantly stunning the Death Eaters.

Harry returned to human form and stunned them a few more times for good measure, binding them in chains and tagging them with a portkey before dragging them into the Chamber of Secrets.

00000

When they were allowed to wake up, Augustus, McNair, and Madam Rookwood found themselves bound to chairs and sitting about ten feet apart in the Chamber. In front of each of them was a transparent red wall and just beyond the wall was a small table with a single glass ball and a hammer. Harry approach Augustus smiling evilly.

"We meet at last Mr. Rookwood. About that duel? I forfeit. It appears I have no honor when it comes to Death Eaters." Harry chuckled slightly. "Now I'm sure you are wondering about these balls and hammers, so I'll explain. These balls control the bindings on you and the shields trapping you inside, among other things. If I destroy the balls, your imprisonment ends. Now I'm going to ask you a few questions. When you answer them truthfully, I might let you have that duel instead of just executing you."

"I'm not talking you little worm!" Rookwood yelled. "Since you forfeit, you are obliged to let my mother go."

"Oh really? So you want me to destroy her sphere and end her captivity?"

Seeing his nod, Harry walked over to the table in front of Madam Rookwood and picked up the hammer. He gave her a sad look and a grim wave goodbye before bringing the hammer smashing down. With a squelching sound and a loud WHUMP, the elderly lady was turned inside out before exploding, her blood and gore splashing onto the shield in a rather impressive manner. Rookwood was not shielded from the mess however and found himself wearing what was left of his mother. "You asked for it. I trust I won't have to break any more of these to get you talking?"

"You sick fuck! If you were going to kill her why not just do it?" He screamed at Harry in pain and rage.

"Because being turned inside out and splashed over the walls leaves more of an impression on the survivors," Harry replied without malice. "Now tell me what you know about Horcruxes."

Rookwood just stared at Harry with a considerable amount of pure hatred and loathing, his jaw firmly shut in defiance. Harry turned to McNair to see his mouth also firmly shut, but with slightly less loathing present. Seeing that they were still reluctant to give in, Harry turned and looked off into the shadows.

"What do you think Moody, torture or veritaserum?" Harry asked.

Alastor Moody came out of the shadows with an odd look in his eye. "You are one sick freak Potter. Rookwood is a brilliant wizard and there's no clue what he researched in the Department of Mysteries. Veritaserum for McNair and several hours of torture for Rookwood, he's probably immune to it and some of the things you might want to know cannot be told against his will. The unspeakables put all kinds of charms on their researchers to prevent this kind of thing."

"Thanks for the tip. Are you going to stick around and help?"

"No, I had my fill of torture in the last war. Write me a report of anything the Order needs to know, especially if there are anymore mass muggle killings coming up."

"Will do Moody. If you take that staircase over there you will come out behind a statue near McGonagall's office. It's a one way trip though." Harry pointed to one of the many exits he found when he cleaned the Chamber. He turned to Rookwood. "Camera Obscura, Silencio, Amentes ab Infinitum, Nuxema Karloff!"

00000

Over the next hour McNair spilled everything he knew about Voldemort's plans and tactics. He gave up locations of safehouses and apparition points where people went as a layover before going to the headquarters. He could not reveal Voldemort's inner lair due to a Fidelius, but Harry knew that when the time came he could track him down anyway. Harry took copious notes thanks to a dictation quill.

While this questioning was happening, Rookwood was encased in a sphere of perfect darkness, and his hearing silenced. Harry cast a combination of spells on him that replicated the effects of dementors and bogarts. The spells drew out his worst fears and played them over and over while sucking all the happiness and hope out of him. Occasionally Harry would shoot a pain curse or two at him as well, but didn't pull out the cruciatus just yet.

When he was done, Harry burned McNair's name into his arm just above the Dark Mark before separating the limb at the elbow. As the Death Eater screamed and bled to death, Harry placed the arm on the table and picked up the hammer. With a crack of glass, Walden MacNair exploded in a fountain of blood.

Harry canceled the silencing charm and the sphere of darkness around Rookwood. "Are you ready to talk yet?" Harry didn't even wait for an answer, he just charged on ahead. "I didn't think so. Sangin Torque, Sanguinus Pro Aqua Regia!"

Halfway up Augustus' thighs, tourniquets cut off his blood flow. The second spell was a simple switching spell that swapped out all of the blood in his legs for an acid powerful enough to eat through gold. Harry watched as Rookwood's legs were dissolved and liquefied from the inside out in an extremely painful manner. After a few moments of screams and begging for release, Harry reapplied the darkness and silence (the visions and fear had never left). He added one more spell, tergo multiplicus, before leaving him to gradually break.

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When Harry came back in the morning, there was nothing left of Augustus below mid hip except for a few tatters of flesh and a few stumps of bone. The screaming had ceased, Rookwood was now whimpering pathetically after his long night of his worst nightmares, fears made manifest, absence of hope, and constant sodomy. The chair he had been sitting in was now missing the front legs from the acid, leaving him lying face down on the stone floor with his rump elevated. With a few quick waves of his wand, Harry repaired the chair and righted him. He canceled the fear, darkness, and silencing, but let the pounding from behind continue.

Harry skipped his classes that day and questioned Rookwood on every subject he could think of. Not only did he find out a great deal about how Voldemort thought and where he went after Hogwarts, but also two Fidelius secrets for Rookwood's labs. The pure volume of spell research Rookwood had done over the years was astounding and with only minor coercion Harry extracted the combination to Rookwood's personal safe where he stored the notebooks and emergency supplies and the passwords to get past his wards. The trick, Harry learned from Daemon, to effective torture was to keep the punishment coming. You can let up slightly to allow them to answer your question, but you must keep the pain coming. If the subject was allowed to think, he would begin to lie to you.

When Harry eventually ran out of questions to ask, cracked the last globe. Instead of exploding messily like the others, this time the marble he had been forced to swallow sent out a single killing curse when the linking spell connecting it to the globe died. Thus fell one of the Dark Lord's top lieutenants.

00000

Harry dropped off what was left of Rookwood and MacNair at the DMLE before heading out to the labs he just learned about. The first lab was a tiny cottage that contained a very nice potions workroom and a comfortable bed in a separate shielded room. Harry collected the neatly labeled vials and research journals and made sure nothing was liable to explode if he left it. There was a large cauldron of veritaserum and another of polyjuice simmering, with notebooks alongside to remind Rookwood precisely where he left off. After the cottage was secured and the potions dumped out, Harry destroyed the runes anchoring the Fidelius charm and inscribed his own before recasting the spell with himself as the new Secret Keeper.

The second lab Harry discovered was actually Rookwood's home. He had a very interesting library full of spell development journals from around the world like "Emperor Akihito's Royal Spellcraft Review for Summer 1992" and "Jane's All The World's Battle Magic" (A compendium of the current auror and hit-wizard spells from around the world with their counters). There was also a room covered on the inside with thick dragon hide, enchanted to withstand greater than usual stresses and repair itself as needed. This was clearly a room for testing new spells and curses, it was an interesting thing to have available but Harry doubted he would ever need it personally. In the spellcraft room, books were strewn across the counter and a variety of widgets and magical gizmos lay in various states of repair. Another Fidelius charm secured the building until he would be able to loot it properly and give it to the ministry. He had no use for more homes or property but knowledge would always be useful and that was something Rookwood's hide-a-way had in spades.

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Spells and ideas from this chapter;

Earlier in the story we saw Harry's rock/pebble/time bombs, and he has improved on the concept a bit. To capture the Death Eaters, two marbles were spelled with webbing and stunning spells. While they were unconscious each of the prisoners was force fed another marble, the activation of course being the spheres in front of them. Mrs. Rookwood and McNair were hit with an implosion hex followed by an explosion hex. Obviously those two spells should not be used in tandem. Augustus only received a killing curse.

New Spells

Camera Obscura – "Darkened Chamber" a sphere of darkness around the target completely blocking out their vision.

Amentes ab Infinitum – "Never-ending Insanity" replays the current scene with minor tessellations and alterations constantly in the victims mind.

Nuxema Karloff – Corrupted from "Nox" being the light extinguishing charm and a reference to Boris Karloff. I figured that if Humphrey Bogart could inspire the shape shifting creature that embodied fears, Karloff (a master of horror) could be used in a spell to bring out nightmares. This spell places a person in a semi-dream state and calls out their nightmares and fears.

Tergo Multiplicus – "Many from behind" A dark arts spell that subjects the victim to the feeling of being brutally sodomized by several large hairy men.

These four spells and the silencing charm placed Rookwood in a sensory deprived environment except for the nightmares which constantly looped and mutated in his while he was effectively raped. Leave him alone for twelve to fourteen hours and your hardened criminal is sufficiently softened to be interrogated.


End file.
